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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294764">Love is a conquest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/myyueliang/pseuds/myyueliang'>myyueliang</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The King's Guard Dogs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Fantasy, M/M, Slow Burn, Will tag relationships as they appear, morally fucked characters, shitty governement</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:49:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,480</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/myyueliang/pseuds/myyueliang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They were all assassins, the King’s guard dogs. Just people raised to kill whoever dared to oppose the King’s glorious reign. </p><p>Love was nothing but an insipid feeling.</p><p>Love was the way his mother treated the world so gently, so full of care and kindness. The way his mother gave and gave, never expecting anything in return. But love was the way his father kissed his mother while holding onto his mistress’s hand. Love was the knife cutting away at his mother’s last strings of sanity, until she was just an empty shell of a woman. </p><p>Lee Donghyuck didn’t need that in the slightest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The King's Guard Dogs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. we all commit to love that kills you inside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I previously published this fic under the account Captitalism, same name and everything. I wasn't happy with just how inconsistent everything was, so I took it down and remade it completely. However the plot is very much different and I've actually worked on making everything consistent!! </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Title from Fairest by Marissa Meyer<br/>Chapter title from Kill this love by Blackpink</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Please, I did it out of love,” Pleaded the man begging at his feet. Pathetic.</p><p>They were all assassins, the King’s guard dogs. Just people raised to kill whoever dared to oppose the King’s glorious reign. </p><p>Love was nothing but an insipid feeling.</p><p>Love was the way his mother treated the world so gently, so full of care and kindness. The way his mother gave and gave, never expecting anything in return. But love was the way his father kissed his mother while holding onto his mistress’s hand. Love was the knife cutting away at his mother’s last strings of sanity, until she was just an empty shell of a woman. </p><p>Lee Donghyuck didn’t need that in the slightest.</p><p>He laughed bitterly, calling over to Jaemin, “You hear that, Jaemin? He did it for love.”</p><p>Jaemin stopped rifling through the drawers for a moment, and peaked over through a few gaps in the bookshelves. They had ransacked that too. There were pages of books, ancient books that shouldn’t even be touched in any way that wasn’t delicate. </p><p>He wished that Chenle was here, they could’ve saved a lot of the library. But Chenle wasn’t made for these missions, and the King didn’t care so much for preserving history. And as for Chenle,  all that training, all those punishments, they couldn’t beat the soft-heartedness, or the hesitation out of him. </p><p>The mission never specified that they wanted this man alive, and right now he wasn’t feeling particularly merciful. He wasn’t very important in the grand scheme of things. </p><p>The dark wood floors were stained with blood, and there were definitely way too many bodies lying in the halls, and in the rooms. Renjun wasn’t happy with the amount of blood, everytime Donghyuck passed him in the halls, his nose was constantly wrinkled. </p><p>“Out of all the people you used that argument against,” Jaemin laughed. “Irony, am I right? Out of all the people. It would’ve worked on Mark, and Jeno, even my dear, soft-hearted little brother. But Haechan? Haechan?” </p><p>Jaemin said soft-hearted like it was a bad thing, when in reality that was the thing he valued the most about his little brother. He had walked past Jaemin’s room one day, when they were kids, and he heard sobbing, “Don’t do as I do, Sungie. Don’t lower yourself to their level, no matter what.”</p><p>As a kid, he knew he shouldn’t be listening, and he knew whatever he heard was supposed to make him feel ashamed of himself. Or feel sorry for Jaemin, who was literally crying. But all he felt was smugness, less competition.</p><p>“I won’t,” Promised Jisung quietly. </p><p>“I’m serious, Sungie, you don’t know how ugly their games are. I know the Capital, I know how their goddamn games work. They’re manipulative, and you believe one word, and suddenly you’re spiraling down into a hell of lies, and the next day, you don’t even know who you are anymore.” The words sounded complex, nothing a thirteen year old would be capable of thinking of. It was almost like Jaemin was parroting someone’s words.</p><p>He didn’t care though, the Capital wasn’t like that in the slightest. They were kind to him, and in that moment, that’s all that really mattered. </p><p>Donghyuck scowled at Jaemin, “What’s that supposed to mean, asshole?”</p><p>Jaemin disappeared into another room, his twinkling laugh fading out. Their sources had told them the rebels were meeting at this grand manor, fitting of someone with such stature. Beloved councilman, whose family had been loyal to the royal family for ages.</p><p>But this man had turned to the rebellion, and for what reason? Love? </p><p>He pressed his foot down harder, applying more force to the man’s head. He squirmed pathetically. “Tell me,” He crooned, pressing even harder. “Tell me all about how you did it for someone you love so dearly.”</p><p>The love that you had for your family, and a family that loved you, wasn’t some currency. It wasn’t some bargaining chip you used to get out of whatever situation you were in. It wasn’t something that could protect you from your actions, and if it was, Donghyuck would be more defenseless than ever before.</p><p>Chenle told them that the original architecture blueprints didn’t match up with Renjun’s accounts (He had snuck in a week earlier, and left without anyone noticing). “There’s a missing room, that’s for sure. The entrance could be anywhere. It’s not included in the blueprints, so this man had enlisted someone’s help to hide it.” Chenle paused, “It would have seemed suspicious at the time, but everyone hides secrets. You could either make it a total bloodbath, interrogate every goddamn servant, or we hunt down whoever aided with the slight remodeling, and get our answer, and make it a surprise.”</p><p>Mark had sighed, “Taeyong will flay me alive if we decided to just casually drop in. So many people would escape, and-”</p><p>“We can’t really hunt anyone down, can we?” Asked Jeno. “We’d have to get help from-“</p><p>“No one likes that option, can’t we just storm in?” Snapped Jaemin. He was holding his head, curled up in one of the plush armchairs of their meeting room. “Why bother going after some guy who’s probably dead?”</p><p>Mark shot Jaemin a glare, “Maybe you want to volunteer to try to sweet talk our favourite unit into helping us?”</p><p>Jaemin shook his head, still clutching at his head, “My head hurts. It’s just going to make it so much worse. Besides, if anyone has to do it, why can’t you? Or Renjun? I mean his brother’s in that goddamn unit!”</p><p>“Shut up Jaemin, go nurse your little boo-boo and just shut the fuck up.” Renjun lifted his head from the table. He looked tired, and ready to go on a murderous rampage all by himself. Renjun groaned, holding his head up with his hand. “God, you’re all so loud.”</p><p>Renjun, despite his older brother being a part of Vision, their information-gathering unit, he was just like the rest of them. Avoiding Vision was like a general principle. Vision were like a group of stray cats Taeyong chose to adopt against everyone’s wishes. Cats who were aware that everyone found them unsettling, and paraded around the palace with the smuggest grins.</p><p>Mark hissed, “Someone do it. I don’t care who does it, I just want it done, understand?”</p><p>Donghyuck sighed, “I’ll do it.”</p><p>He hated talking to Kun’s unit of misfits and manipulative bastards as much as everyone else, but the argument was just freaking annoying. 127, the King’s main unit, was led by Taeyong. He didn’t know the full story, but most of them owed Taeyong in some way or the other. </p><p>Dream, on the other hand, was a bunch of kids gathered together, trained together, and released as yet another level of the King’s guard dogs. None of them were trained with the idea of a leader in mind. And when suddenly, before their first group mission, the King sends some man to tell them that Mark’s in charge. </p><p>None of them took it very well.</p><p>“Is it because he’s the oldest?” Asked Jaemin immediately. “Because-”</p><p>“I can beat Mark in a fight,” Said Jeno. “I’m-”</p><p>“Oh please,” Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “You beat him like what, once every fifty rounds? He’s better than you, and we all know that.”</p><p>Their team wasn’t quite bonded in the way the other units were. It was a mess of kids who were constantly compared to one another. Ones who were constantly trying to be better than each other. It started off with their trainer’s snide comments, about how so-and-so did so much better. And then it just got worse and worse. </p><p>They were all brought up in this environment that made it hard to actually like each other. Even after a year of all these team missions, their relationship never quite became what it was when they were just children. A constant need to be better than each other, to prove themselves to the King. </p><p>They had tracked down the architect who had helped remodel the house to fit a secret room. If they had more time, they would’ve sent Renjun in to try to find it. He was quiet enough to go completely unnoticed, practically a phantom at times. But they didn’t, the King wanted this over with as fast as possible, and this was their best option. After bribery failed to work, they dangled the architect’s child over a railing until he was a sobbing mess, telling them everything, where the secret entrance was, and even more names to add to the ever-growing list of rebels.</p><p>Jaemin wanted to just throw the girl overboard, as a punishment for not helping earlier. Mark forced him to let the poor girl down, and they left the townhouse without any unnecessary bloodshed. </p><p>And then a few moments from present time, they had sneaked into the councilman’s humble abode (Sure, it had way too many rooms, and beautifully polished hardwood floors, but he had grown up in the palace, and any house that didn’t have marble floors and velvet curtains felt humble to him). </p><p>Then they dropped into the meeting room dramatically by placing acid on the room above, and waiting. Jaemin was by the entrance, and also the only exit of said secret room. Whoever this man was, he was clearly too confident in no one ever finding his secret room. And so began their chase. </p><p>The King had let them join his hunting party once. To show off his new group of younger, and even more ruthless generation of guard dogs. Every mission had the exact same feeling as that brief moment, where time freezes as the hounds were released. The rush of adrenaline as he chased after any masked figures who tried to escape. It felt just like chasing game. </p><p>His prey, the very councilman himself. </p><p>“They banished my daughter for-”</p><p>He racked his brain for any idea of who the daughter he was talking about was. He probably wouldn’t know, as he avoided any court related thing that he could. Taeyong occasionally sat in meetings, with Jaehyun, Sicheng and occasionally Ten, at his side. It was intimidation, and fuel for Taeyong’s constant thirst for knowledge. A win-win. </p><p>That didn’t matter to him. All that he really cared about at the moment was that the King had taken mercy on a girl, and banished her instead of executing her, and now this ungrateful bastard wanted to complain? </p><p>He didn’t care what she got banished for either. The Capital was full of the best of the best, the politically powerful, the rich, and the beautiful. It was a careful treading ground, one slip up, and you find yourself falling through the cracks. People got banished for the smallest of things.</p><p>Donghyuck pressed down harder, if it didn’t hurt before, it definitely hurt now. “We’re getting rid of the corruption right now, aren’t we?”</p><p>He whimpered, “Please. I have a family.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t worry about your family right now if I were you.”</p><p>His wife was hanging from the balcony, suspended by a silk curtain in a beautiful shade of vermillion. She was still kicking when he had passed by, but he doubted she would be kicking now. Amazing thing about humans, they can’t last very long without breathing. Knowing his friends, the daughter wasn’t any better off.</p><p>And besides, it wasn’t like he really cared that much about family. Jaemin was the one person the family argument could maybe work on.</p><p>“Please they’re my everything-”</p><p>Donghyuck stared at him for a moment. Attachment wasn’t good for anyone. As the Empire liked to remind him that constantly, attachment made people weak. “They’re my everything,” He parroted in a mocking voice. “Your friends are either getting arrested or murdered right now. What do you say, sir? Wanna make a deal?”</p><p>“My daughter-”</p><p>“If I were you, I’d take it. This is a Lee Haechan special, you know?” He paused to consider whatever lie to tell this man, “And your daughter, the Empire could spare her, I suppose. I want names, and I want them now. Okay?” There wasn’t an answer, so he stomped his foot down a few times. “Okay? For fuck’s sake, don’t be such a little bitch! You’ve had like hundreds of tutorss, I know you’re not fucking illiterate, so answer me!”</p><p>“Calm down Haechan,” He didn’t know when Mark appeared, but the excitement was overridden by disappointment towards himself. Mark wasn’t the most light on his feet, and if he didn’t hear him approaching, he was obviously losing his touch. If the Empire saw that small moment, they would be very upset. </p><p>“You’re not cut out for interrogation,” Said Mark. He gently pulled him away, and off the man. He would’ve been offended if it was anyone else, but Mark didn’t do it out of spite, or mockery. “I’ll take care of this. Round up all the political prisoners-”</p><p>“Rebels.”</p><p>Mark dismissed his interruption with a shake of his head. Ever so kind. Mark thought everyone was redeemable in some way. He saw the best in people. A trait that would become his downfall. “Take care of it. Get Jeno to send a message to the palace, get the clean up crew, the usual.”</p><p>Donghyuck huffed, “I got to him first-”</p><p>“You were five seconds away from murdering him.”</p><p>“I was not!”</p><p>“I don’t need a medic in here to tell me how close you were to fracturing his skull.”</p><p>Neither of them acknowledged the fact that man was getting up, hand reaching for a discarded knife. He thought they were distracted by their little argument. He stood up slowly, and creeped up behind Mark before Donghyuck saw him. Clearly, he thought wrong. He grabbed Mark forward, and kicked the man, knocking the knife out of his hands. </p><p>Mark whipped around to look at the fallen man, and to Donghyuck, revealing a knife hiding up his sleeve, “You didn’t have to do that, you know? I had it-”</p><p>“Your reaction times are slow, Lee. You think I trusted you to time that well enough,” Snapped Donghyuck before he left. The more accurate to describe it would’ve been “stormed off,” but he was never one for accuracy. Of course he didn’t need to try to help Mark. Mark didn’t need his help, hadn’t needed his help since that night. </p><p>Was it so bad that he just wanted to help? He scoffed to what he thought was an empty hallway.</p><p>“Trouble in paradise?” Asked Jaemin, a knowing look on his face. “Jeno and Jisung took care of gathering up all the rebels. Of course, we killed a few of them, but like his majesty really wasn’t specific enough, so who could blame us, really.”</p><p>Donghyuck huffed, and pushed past Jaemin. “Where’s Jeno?”</p><p>Half the time, it was like Jeno was permanently attached to Jaemin. He followed Jaemin around like a lost puppy, and listened to his every command. It was rather surprising to see Jaemin without Jeno.</p><p>Jaemin kicked aside a piece of furniture that had been knocked aside in the panic. Someone had found joy in knocking every flower pot off the window sill, and every painting off the wall (Probably Jisung). Whatever, no one needed that He pouted, “Sending a message to the palace. I don’t know how the hell he gets that bird to cooperate.”</p><p>Their main source of communication, an absolute jerk of a hawk. Donghyuck, while he didn’t straight up avoid all animals like Taeyong, he just preferred not to interact with them. </p><p>“We’re heading back soon, get your brother.”</p><p>Jaemin looked ready to start whining, but he didn’t care. There was blood on his shirt, and caking the soles of his boots. He had commissioned those boots himself, it had hidden compartments for knives, and a blade in the toe that activated if he kicked hard enough. He just wanted to be in his room already and gone from these bloodstained halls. </p><p>Mark walked out of the study, rolling down his sleeves as he did. He stared for a moment before quickly catching up, “Did he talk?”</p><p>“No. They’re taking him back to the palace, someone will get him to talk eventually. Fuck, I’ll work on it all goddamn night if I have to.” Mark looked pissed off. “For fuck’s sake, Taeyong is going to murder me. We could’ve threatened him with family, but Jaemin’s trigger happiness ruined that already. We’re already behind schedule and I promised-”</p><p>He swallowed up his complaints, instead of screaming that he could’ve done such a better job, he just sighed, “Stop fretting, idiot.”</p><p>“We already took way too long with planning this stupid, stupid ambush.”</p><p>“You know damn well that Taeyong would’ve been pissed if we just rushed in with no plan or idea of the layout. It’s almost like no matter what you do, he finds a flaw or something.”</p><p>Taeyong had many nicknames, and titles given to him. The King’s favourite bastard, the ice prince, bloodthirsty demon. He was the King’s illegitimate child, and leader of his guard dogs. A scary story to frighten your kids into behaving. He had recruited all of 127 and Vision by himself, and all of them were insanely loyal to him, and only him. Dream was the King’s very own side project, now that they were out of training, they were under his jurisdiction. </p><p>“He’s got really high standards, doesn’t he?” Asked Jaemin, a teasing lilt in his voice. “It’s almost like he hates you, Mark. Maybe you’re not such a golden child, after all.” </p><p>Jisung elbowed his brother to shut him up. Jisung wasn’t much for their banter, or any of their jesting. He kept to himself as much as possible, and Donghyuck couldn’t remember Jisung saying more than five or six words to him. </p><p>Jisung avoided the spotlight, avoided being a part of anything. While his brother commanded attention, he stayed strictly to the shadows. Renjun and Sicheng walked silently, you never heard them approaching. But at times you could still sense their presence at times. But Jisung, you hear him, but you forget him, his presence was quiet, he blended into the background around him. </p><p>He had three giant scratches on his cheeks, ugly things that ruined his almost perfect face. Whenever he was nervous, he turned so that you could only see the scars on his face. It was well known that it was Jaemin himself who did that. </p><p>He used to wonder what kind of a person Jaemin was, to scar his own brother like that. Was it jealousy? Or was it for his own amusement? He’s seen Jaemin kill people without blinking, seen him laugh as people begged him for mercy, for death. Seen the faces that his victims made, seconds before they died. So completely and utterly twisted. He stopped wondering after a while. Because either way, Jaemin showed no regret over it. </p><p>Jisung didn’t cover it up, however. It was almost like a mask to him. Most people would hide whatever scars, blemish on their face, especially people in the Capital. But Jisung always used it as a shield. </p><p>He once heard Jisung say quietly, “No one likes looking at a scarred boy.”</p><p>He was right. No one liked looking at a scarred little thing, no one would ever care about you enough to look past them. Nothing can hide the fact someone was cruel enough to harm you, and that you were helpless to stop it.</p><p>They were all flanking Mark at this point, he could hear Renjun and Jaemin starting a new argument about their killing methods. Jisung was looking down, walking behind all the rest of them, Jeno walked alongside him in comfortable silence. Donghyuck scowled, he just wanted to talk to Mark, it’s been impossible lately to have a simple conversation with Mark. He was either in his room, or preparing for their next mission. This was the only time he could ever have a moment with him.</p><p>He never quite had a family, he barely remembered a time where his household wasn’t like a bunch of posed dolls, walking on thin ice around one another. It was like a constant charade of, “We’re not falling apart.”</p><p>A constant repeat of his father coming home irregularly, smelling like someone else entirely. His mother always smiled, sadness in her tone, but anger in her eyes. </p><p>At times like this, with everyone gathered around, he liked to think it was the closest he’d ever get to family. Despite the smell of blood that clung to the air, despite the fact that even after knowing everyone for at least five years, he felt like he barely knew them. He smiled for a fleeting moment. </p><p>Mark ran his hand through his hair, “Taeyong’s making us meet him tomorrow morning,” He said as one of the King’s carriages approached the destroyed, and ransacked house. “Be early.”</p><p>“127 is back?” Asked Jaemin, perking up ever-so-slightly. “What were they doing that took so long?”</p><p>“No, Taeyong is,” Corrected Renjun. “Johnny and Jaehyun are still in the Outskirts. Politics, you know?”</p><p>Jeno snorted, “Since when was politics slaughtering-”</p><p>The carriage pulled out in front of them. It was covered in pretty details, so many beautiful carvings. It was practically a coach, one for all the lords and ladies to make their ball entrances in. A beautiful thing of pearl white. Something so incredibly beautiful and well made, to show off his prized guard dogs. </p><p>Mark gave him a hand, so that he could get in first. He took it, and quickly scooted to the window seat. While everyone else was settling around him, he glanced at what used to be a grand front yard, with its well-maintained greenery. </p><p>Renjun once said that the scent of blood followed him everywhere. He wasn’t wrong.</p><p>Donghyuck sat quietly as the carriage started moving, his eyes focussing on a cluster of orchids. A body of some servant, some stranger he couldn’t care less about, was discarded next to it, blood seeping into the flower beds. He never liked orchids anyways, the reminded him too much of a life he left behind. </p><p>This is what his life had led to.</p><p>But anything was better than the streets that he was forced to survive in. Even if it was for only a few months, it was still the worst experience of his life. The Capital was like the creme de la creme. It was for the richest, the best, the King’s favourite. </p><p>Taeyong had said before, that the Capital was crawling with demons. The outskirts were full of vermin, scavenging what they could to survive. But the Capital was full of demons, with everything they ever needed. And yet they still constantly thirsted for more. </p><p>Whatever it was, it wasn’t a place for a homeless little boy. He had just been nothing but a piece of trash, a tiny inconvenience in their seemingly perfect lives. No one took pity on him, not when they had their own lives to go through. People could afford pity, and yet they chose not to.</p><p>He looked over at Mark for a moment, a flash of red catching his attention. “You’re bleeding, shithead.”</p><p>Mark looked down, “Where?”</p><p>He pointed at a cut on Mark’s upper arm. It wasn’t deep, and gushing out blood, but it wasn’t the most shallow either. “When the hell did you get cut? I thought you were supposed to be the best among us, Mark.”</p><p>Mark swore under his breath, “And I liked this shirt too.” He instinctively placed a hand over his wound, trying his best not to bleed everywhere.</p><p>“Get the palace tailor to fix it,” Said Jaemin lazily, his head lolling in Jeno’s lap. Jeno stroked his hair gently. “Or buy a new one, who cares. There’s this shop in the center of town, they do anything, no questions asked.”</p><p>“What kind of shit are you even commissioning?” Asked Renjun with a look of bewilderment, and mild disgust. </p><p>Jaemin hummed merrily, but he didn’t reply. Jeno frowned, “Does it matter?”</p><p>“I was just asking, Jeno. Fucking chill. It’s been like what? Four or five years, and you’re still absolute shit at human conversation,” Taunted Renjun, he was sitting right by the other window. Thank god Jeno didn’t look annoyed enough to consider throwing Renjun right out the window.</p><p>“Always so kind,” Purred Jaemin, his eyes were fluttering shut at this point. Every carriage ride, he was either smiling mockingly out the window, or resting his head on Jeno. </p><p>“How about let’s not fight in the carriage,” Snapped Donghyuck. “Remember the last time you guys did that? I’m still mad about my sword, by the way, how the fuck do you accidentally throw a whole sword out the window?”</p><p>“It wasn’t an accident,” Muttered Jisung, but no one really paid any attention to his comment.</p><p>“I think the general point is to not fight in here,” Interjected Mark. </p><p>“Yeah, confined spaces with all of you is painful enough as is, don’t make it worse.”</p><p>“God, shut up Renjun.” Oh, Jeno was ready to toss him out of the window now, he clutched his hands, glaring at Renjun. The silver-haired boy just smiled innocently, and went back to looking out the window. The Capital was quite beautiful, every detail was thought out, and executed. The land that the Capital was on flourished beautifully, although he still preferred the view of his old cottage home. </p><p>To put it simply, the Capital was a paradise, a utopia for the lucky. Any other part of the Empire wasn’t so beautiful. Or lucky. Everyday was a constant reminder that you were chosen to be a part of this, and anything less than perfect felt like a fall from grace.</p><p>Thank god he wasn’t a part of those games. 127 was a fan of imitating the King’s courts. According to Johnny, it was fun, especially because it made people uneasy. He didn’t care though, the Empire was scared enough of them. Fucking with the courts was more Mark and Jaemin’s thing.</p><p>Mark nudged him, “You okay?”</p><p>He shook Mark off, “You took over my interrogation, asshole.”</p><p>He wasn’t even pissed about that in the slightest. He just didn’t know what else to say to him. Missions were always followed by a foreign feeling, was it regret or guilt? He couldn’t tell, all that he knows is that it’ll go away eventually. Taeyong said that if you did it long enough, you wouldn’t even feel it anymore.</p><p>Mark frowned, “You were about to kill him, Haechan.”</p><p>“Who cares? He’s just some freaking rebel, the King wouldn’t have cared,” He huffed, crossing his arms. “Just shut up already.”</p><p>He could feel Mark staring at him in concern, he always did this. Maybe that was why the Empire chose Mark to be their leader, because he actually cared about his team. He didn’t know empathy was something the Empire factored, or even cared about. So maybe, there was some other reason. Mark was the very best in their team after all.</p><p>Mark looked away eventually, enveloping the carriage in uncomfortable silence. Jaemin was the first to speak up, he started rambling quietly to his little brother. Jaemin never liked silence, he’d always start talking when it got too quiet. </p><p>Jaemin was the type who could withstand any torture, but you locked him in a room by himself, and no one else, he’d give in within the first ten minutes. He’s heard Jaemin’s cries when they used to lock him up in the cupboard, always so filled with terror.</p><p>Jisung didn’t say anything, just periodically hummed. He looked restless. He dashed out of the carriage the second that they arrived, ignoring whatever envoy the King sent to receive them. Jisung was going to make himself scarce as usual. </p><p>Mark went up to one of the guards, “Take me to Taeyong please.”</p><p>“Get your wound disinfected first,” Snapped Donghyuck, knowing damn well Mark would ignore him. As usual Mark didn’t even glance at him, just staring straight at the guard he just addressed.</p><p>He doubted Mark would even see to it until after he was done briefing Taeyong, and having a small audience with the King. And probably spending all night taking care of other things. He’s tried to help him, tried to gently steer Mark to sleep, but he’s got his own problems to deal with. Mark didn’t need him anymore.</p><p>“The Captain is currently,” The guard paused, “Occupied.” </p><p>Mark shot the guard an unimpressed glare, “Where is he.”</p><p>“The dungeons, sir.”</p><p>That explains the hesitance. Taeyong interrogating anyone usually ended up in torture. A bloody scene that most of Dream would barf at. Mark didn’t look phased in the slightest.</p><p>Donghyuck was sure it killed them inside, calling a nineteen year old “sir”. Or showing any semblance of respect to any of them. He huffed, and hopped out of the carriage, ignoring the hand Mark instinctively offered without breaking eye contact with the poor guard. Jaemin hopped out after him, his landing shaky. Jeno offered him an arm, but he brushed it aside, stumbling past everyone and heading to the palace.</p><p>Mark shot Jaemin a concerned look, but he didn’t say anything. Jeno pursed his lips and followed Jaemin without a word of goodbye. Renjun slipped out behind them, leaving no noise behind as he walked away. </p><p>And off Mark went, doing his own business and serving the Empire to the best of his abilities. Everything about him working some purpose, some goal. Donghyuck didn’t know what that goal was, and he doubted he ever would. Mark had stopped being his best friend a long time ago, stopped sharing his aspirations and dreams. He stopped being that kid who talked about his plans for the future with stars in his eyes. </p><p>Donghyuck swallowed bitterly, and turned on his heel, heading towards the palace without another word. Mother always did like telling him he was destined to be alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
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        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. You'll never be satisfied</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title from Satisfied from the Hamilton soundtrack</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghyuck hated mornings. Especially after missions. Large missions generally resulted in a meeting report. That meant being scolded by Taeyong for any mistake they made. Sometimes, Taeyong sent Johnny in his place, a far worse alternative. </p><p>Taeyong may be terrifying, and occasionally outright cruel, but he was blunt. He went straight to the point, without any sort of pretenses. A bastard from the outskirts, through and through. Johnny was a born pampered son of a lord, being groomed to take over his father’s empire and fortune. He would’ve been, at least, if it wasn’t for Taeyong demanding to have Johnny on his team, for whatever reasons Donghyuck could not fathom. </p><p>Johnny grew up in the Capital, in the very centre, surrounded by the courts. The best, and easiest way to say it was that Johnny was a massive dickhead. Unnecessarily evasive and always knew what to say to make it really hurt. </p><p>He didn’t know which was worse, the times he and Mark were part of 127, and had their meetings conducted by the Minister, or Johnny. </p><p>Donghyuck was in the castle when Taeyong started assembling his team, both him and Mark. He was twelve, and clueless to what was going on around him. The reason he and Mark were included in the occasional 127 missions was purely due to seniority. Seniority based on how long they’ve been in the castle. </p><p>127 was recruited by Taeyong for their pre-existing abilities, they worked better alone. But on occasion, they were forced on team missions. Ones that couldn’t be entrusted to Dream for whatever reason.</p><p>Imagine the surprise in the courts when the King’s bastard demanded to have Lord Seo’s son. It was quite the scandal.</p><p>Even more so when a few years later, Taeyong demanded to have Doyoung join their ranks. Rumours have Taeyong attempting to try to overthrow his father flooded the halls. The King’s bastard started making his own political alliances. If it were anyone else, they would’ve been quickly dealt with. Accidental fire in their mansion, sudden trip they never return from, uncharacteristic suicide, the usual. But for some reason, the King saw no threat in Taeyong.</p><p>Doyoung was his unofficial second-in-command, and yet he sent Johnny in his place if need be. Jaemin said it was because Johnny was more blindingly loyal. Johnny, who overheard, and instead of punishing him, had laughed, “Unquestioning loyalty, Jaemin. I’m well aware of who Taeyong is, and what he does, I just don’t care. And I do what he asks regardless.”</p><p>That made Johnny even more scary.</p><p>Today wasn’t one of the rare occasions, however. Taeyong sat at the head of the table, an uncaring look on his face as he waited for everyone to arrive. The dining table had been replaced yet again, 127’s last meeting had ended in mild violence, and lashes for anyone involved. The beautiful glass table was destroyed, replaced by one of ivory, covered in a dark red silk tablecloth. </p><p>Thank god he and Mark had not been part of it.</p><p>The chairs were also ivory, the previously velvet cushions swapped out with beautiful blood red silk cushions imported from the Republic City. The redecoration wasn’t needed, but the Empire just liked reminding them that they were nothing but spoiled little puppies. Rabid dog hounds treated like prized chihuahuas.</p><p>Renjun was hanging upside-down off his seat, ignoring everything around him. He picked an interesting time to meditate. Jaemin was absentmindedly playing with an ornate silver table knife, he was curled up on the seats. Jeno was right next to him, Donghyuck would bet his life that their knees were touching beneath the table. </p><p>Love wasn’t for the Capital, that was a phrase ingrained in them over and over again by Taeyong. But there was something about Taeyong, some certain melancholy. Beneath all of that cruel, and ruthless front, there was a feeling that he was missing something, someone. </p><p>Mark was sitting to the right of Taeyong, staring at his plate of food like it personally offended him. He didn’t like this at all. Donghyuck sighed, and snatched a piece of egg from Mark’s plate, “Cheer up, lionheart. We’re not going to get murdered or anything.”</p><p>He ignored the way Taeyong’s glare landed on him, giving Mark a mocking smile. Lionheart was a nickname he read from a letter on Mark’s desk. While Mark never outright told him to stop using it, his face soured every time he heard it.</p><p>Chenle walked into the room, and grabbed a pastry nonchalantly, “I don’t have to be a part of this, do I?”</p><p>Half the time, it was hard to consider Chenle part of their group. Chenle was more often than not in his lab, doing god knows what. He was a prodigy, a boy who memorised anything he’s ever seen. A genius who could replicate anything he saw. He would’ve been a great asset, if it wasn’t for his humanity.</p><p>“Sit down Chenle, if I have to suffer this, so do you,” Renjun flipped himself back, sitting upright and reaching for the tower of pastries in the center of the table. Freshly made pastries that Mark had sent for beforehand in an attempt to placate Taeyong a little.</p><p>Chenle sighed, “I apologize for my tardiness, I didn’t think I’d need to be here. I already gave my records to Mark last night.”</p><p>Taeyong glanced at the stack of paper beside him, he scanned it quickly, until something caught his eye, “Doyoung increased his dose?”</p><p>The green-haired boy shrugged, “He told me not to tell you.”</p><p>Jisung finally staggered in, saving Chenle from Taeyong’s wrath. He looked at Taeyong for a brief moment, and uttered an apology quietly. If this had been anyone else, he would’ve scolded them to hell, but it was Jisung.</p><p>“Let’s begin, shall we?” </p><p>Mark nodded, “We have a location, and a time. They’re all going to be gathered there, as long as news of this recent killing doesn’t reach the Rebellion. I had Lucas take out their main source of communication a week ago, so we should be fine. We can get rid of them all in one day, to put it simply.”</p><p>“The old man wants a public execution. But that’s irrelevant to you because you’re not going to be taking care of that.” Taeyong rolled his eyes, “You took too long. I told you to take care of the problem in a month. It’s been a month.”</p><p>“I have a name, and a location. Just one more thing left to do before-”</p><p>Taeyong looked at him coldly, “You failed. Plain and simple. You wasted a month of my time, and you wasted a month of the old man’s time. He doesn’t have many of those left, you know.”</p><p>No one mentioned the casual jab towards the King, no one bothered to say otherwise. Taeyong was practically untouchable, one of the King’s greatest mistakes. They say that Taeyong was rescued by the King from the Outskirts, and in return, the King asked him to help purify his empire. That was the simple and borderline propaganda way of explaining it. The true story was far uglier, most true stories usually are. </p><p>He didn’t even know the full story, all he knew was fragments here and there. Which was why he couldn’t fathom a reason why the King would choose his bastard to lead his guard dogs. Did he think that Taeyong would be loyal just because of blood relations? Or did he need a scapegoat in case things went wrong? </p><p>“But we did all of that, is it not good enough for you?” Demanded Mark, annoyance bleeding into his voice. </p><p>The bastard laughed, “You know the old man. Nothing you do will ever be good enough. And besides, he’s pretty damn unhappy. Says it’s almost like you aren’t trying. Let me remind you about the goddamn infestation of rebels. He said to take care of it, and what do you do? Jackshit. I told you, talk to Kun, get the information you need, and take care of it.”</p><p>“I’m sorry-”</p><p>“I diverted most of Dream’s mission to Vision, so that your unit’s entire purpose could be focussed on the Rebellion. And you still didn’t do it fast enough.”</p><p>“When did the Rebellion start?” Asked Taeyong suddenly, looking at Mark expectantly.</p><p>“After the war ended, back when we were,” Mark paused to look at Donghyuck, “Fourteen-ish. They didn’t agree with the war’s outcome. It got worse within the Outskirts, especially with the rising tensions between them and the Capital.”</p><p>“Vermin that needs to be rid of, understand? As my dear father put it, stains on his perfect Empire.”</p><p>Donghyuck knew this lecture was going to happen. They all did. But it didn’t stop the words from hurting. It was the feeling of failure, and not being good enough. However bad it felt for Donghyuck, he was sure that Mark felt a hundred times worse.</p><p>“Perfect Empires don’t have rebellions,” Muttered Jeno so quietly that they almost missed it. For a moment, the room was dead silent. Jeno startled, as if surprised by his own words. </p><p>“He didn’t mean it,” Exclaimed Jaemin immediately.</p><p>“He must’ve stepped on one of my pins by accident,” Said Renjun, “I apologize for my carelessness-”</p><p>“Must’ve slipped something in his drink,” Chimed Chenle, “I was rather sleepy this morning, I wouldn’t be surprised if-”</p><p>Taeyong ignored them, standing up and strolling towards Jeno, backhanding him straight across the face. “Don’t say that.” Another sharp slap sounded through the room. “Especially where anyone could hear you.”</p><p>None of them flinched. Years of living in the castle had completely destroyed that reaction. It was the same as the way Johnny stared at the sky blank-faced just a few weeks ago. He was kneeling in the courtyard, hands tied up to a post. Twenty lashes for his insubordination, and he kneeled until the Empire saw fit. Live with hurt long enough, and you’ll learn to like the taste. </p><p>Taeyong loosely followed the standards of the Capital. The castle especially, it was a confusing place to be as a kid, and an even more confusing place to grow up in. The Empire was kind to you one second, hugging you and telling you everything will be okay one second, and backhanding you the next. It was a push and pull between downright cruel and a kind, loving mother.</p><p>Jeno didn’t look the least bit apologetic, “Sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize. Instead, tell me, what do you think Mark’s weakness is?”</p><p>“He’s a perfectionist who actually cares about people,” Answered Jeno immediately. Mark looked only a little hurt by the lack of hesitation. But then again, they would all answer that question with no hesitation, they had before. The answers only occasionally changed, but for the most part it remained the same.</p><p>“Studious and righteousness,” Taeyong nodded, he pointed at Mark. “That’s your flaw. You think logically, and run scenarios on a constant. The mansion raid held several flaws, I’d list them, but I’m sure you already know. All that memorization doesn’t hide the fact you don’t know people as well as you think you do. Or at all.”</p><p>Mark’s eyes widened, “You think we should’ve just bribed someone instead.”</p><p>“Everyone has a price.”</p><p>“I understand. I’m sorry.”</p><p>The white-haired boy scowled, “I’ll give you another chance, it’s a group mission for 127, so you know what that means. You fail again, and neither the King, nor I, will be very happy.”</p><p>Mark didn’t seem happy at the offer in the slightest. Donghyuck frowned, shouldn’t Mark be at least thankful at the prospect of redemption? But then again, he didn’t know people as well as he thought he did.</p><p>“Haechan and Mark get to join in. Not fair,” Jaemin finally spoke up, pouting as he reached for a cup of tea. His hands were shaking. A crash sounded soon after, as the porcelain cup tumbled to the ground. He blinked, as if he wasn’t surprised, like he planned that. But his eyes gave him away, Jaemin looked like he was ready to cry.</p><p>“Get someone to clean this up later,” Said Renjun immediately, before Jaemin could get up to pick up the shards himself. Jeno blocked Jaemin from even sitting up.</p><p>Jeno nodded and stood up, “I’ll call for a-”</p><p>Taeyong waved him off, “Do it later. Mark-”</p><p>“Please don’t take it over, I’ll do better,” Promised Mark, fire blazing in his eyes. Was it humiliation, humiliation for the fact he wasn’t good enough? Or was it determination? “It’s just one thing I need done-”</p><p>“Don’t bother. I’m taking over the final mission, what you can do next time is be more competent. Gather all your intel, and incriminating evidence for me. And ask for the same from Vision. Get it on my desk by midnight.”</p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>“It’s a team mission. I don’t have to tell you what that means, do I?”</p><p>Donghyuck rolled his eyes, “Be in the training room at six in the morning.”</p><p>“Mark’s too soft on you all,” Remarked Taeyong, moreso to himself than to anyone else. He didn’t seem angry about it though, and if Donghyuck didn’t know him better, he’d think that he was content about it.</p><p>His cold facade was back in a second, he snapped his fingers twice, bringing them all to attention. “Do better. You all may rest now.”</p><p>They stood up and bowed in unison, Mark exclaiming, “Thank you for your time.”</p><p>Taeyong wasn’t as strict as the Capital had been to them, all he demanded was enough respect, and discipline. At least from Dream. 127 was a different story. Their dismissal wasn’t as neat as it used to be, but Taeyong didn’t care about what angle you were bowing, and just how coordinated it was. A bastard from the Outskirts, and no matter how many years he spent in the Capital, it showed.</p><p>They didn’t look up until after they could no longer hear Taeyong’s footsteps. Jaemin was the first to sit down, exhaling in relief, “Pay up, Renjun. Only one person got punished in the entirety of this meeting.”</p><p>Renjun sat back down, “I overestimated Mark.”</p><p>“You underestimated how much Taeyong cares for him,” Corrected Jaemin calmly. He seemed to be doing a lot better. “Want to bet on why Taeyong cares for him?”</p><p>“It’s no use betting with you. You’re too perceptive , and you run just as many scenarios as Mark does, and you pick the most probable. I thought a meeting was unpredictable enough but,” Renjun smiled. “You know human nature way too well.”</p><p>Jaemin grinned, “Better than your brother?”</p><p>“Sichengie is a different case.”</p><p>Donghyuck spoke up, “Sicheng bases his guesses on your personality first. He leaves himself options, and has several counters for each option. That’s the difference, right?”</p><p>Mark did a double-take. “You notice this stuff?”</p><p>“Jaemin kept doing his thing where he got into my head to fuck with me. I had to figure out how he and Sicheng both did it to make it harder. Jaemin wouldn’t bother if it took more than five minutes, and Sicheng didn’t care enough.”</p><p>“Not much in your head, anyway,” Huffed Jaemin quietly.</p><p>Jeno hummed, “They’re not the most observant out of everyone though. Doyoung’s notebook ranks them at third and fourth.”</p><p>Mark snapped his fingers once, “Enough. We still need to get the files from Vision.”</p><p>Everyone froze immediately, and that’s when Donghyuck realized that Jisung seemed to have disappeared entirely. Donghyuck shook his head, “The unholy trinity all returned from their previous mission, I’d rather be hung upside down in the courtyard for two days again than to face all three of them.”</p><p>Renjun sighed, “I don’t want to. Sicheng isn’t going to be there, he’s somewhere running errands for Taeyong.”</p><p>“Jaemin’s out of question,” Said Jeno. No one disagreed with him, not when Jaemin managed to drop something as light as porcelain. </p><p>“I don’t care, someone take care of it,” Mark said, his face schooled into a look of annoyance. However, his eyes read concern, it was obvious he wasn’t planning to force Jaemin to do anything. </p><p>For a moment, he just looked tired.</p><p>Donghyuck scowled, “You’re all fucking weak. I’ll do it.”</p><p>“But you hate talking to Kun,” Purred Jaemin, he hadn’t bothered getting up from the fancy ornate chairs. “Oh the sacrifices we make for a petty emotion. You’re so in-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence, too busy dodging the porcelain cup Donghyuck threw at him. Normally that would be considered insensitive, but he counted that as being nice. If it wasn’t for Jaemin’s...condition, it would’ve been a knife, and he wouldn’t have missed.</p><p>Vision was like a bunch of street cats, with their Cheshire grins, and the way they prowl around the castle. They had a certain sense of entitlement that cats had. He didn’t like talking to them in the slightest. No one really did.</p><p>The only one he kind of knew was Sicheng, because he was also occasionally part of 127. But Sicheng could hardly be considered approachable.</p><p>Mark nodded, “You’re all dismissed. Jaemin, if the raid goes well, you will be expected to show up to the King’s favourite event.”</p><p>“Live, and public executions,” Jaemin smiled, “How wonderful. Well Jeno, you heard our leader, take me to my room at once. And Chenle, would you be a dear?” He looked at Chenle expectantly, an innocent smile on his face.</p><p>Chenle looked at him for a moment, “I refuse. It’s not a long term solution, nor is it healthy.” With that, the boy stood up, and walked to the doorway, “If you need me, I’ll be in my lab, as per usual.”</p><p>“You upped Doyoung’s-”</p><p>“Different cases, different answers.” With that, Chenle left. He heard two pairs of footsteps in the hallway, and faint chatter.</p><p>Renjun followed him out without another word. He was grumpier whenever Sicheng was off elsewhere. The brothers weren’t close emotionally, anyone could see that, but they were still rather attached to one another.</p><p>Jeno gently helped Jaemin out of his seat, the pink haired boy, who shook him off and murmured quietly, “I can walk just fine, Nono.”</p><p>Until it was just him and Mark. “Thank you Haechan.”</p><p>“Don’t thank me. You’re way too soft on all of us, you know that? You’d have more command if you were cruel.”</p><p>Mark’s eyes widened, and he shook his head, “I don’t want to do things that way. I don’t want to do it like them.”</p><p>“You don’t want to, or you can’t?” Asked Donghyuck with scorn and disbelief written all over his face. </p><p>“I can’t,” Admitted Mark rather openly. Why he would admit his own weakness so earnestly, and openly, Donghyuck could never understand. “In some ways, everyone’s still the kids I used to know. I can’t do something like that back then, and I still-”</p><p>“You’re just as weak as Chenle.”</p><p>“You say that like it’s a bad thing, Haechan.”</p><p>Donghyuck scoffed, “Well if you can’t even take control of six barely adults, how else do you get someone to follow you, huh? Trust? Loyalty? Taeyong just said so himself, everyone has a price, anyone could be bought.”</p><p>Johnny once said, “There’s always a bigger price, and bigger reward. You can always choose your weight in gold, or double your weight in gold. But your parents' life on the line, versus your weight in gold? Fear is a thousand times better to control someone.”</p><p>Why was it that when he looked at Mark, all he saw was pity? He couldn’t understand why Mark looked at him with barely disguised sadness. “Taeyong does it just fine without having to resort to brutality.”</p><p>“Owing someone a life debt is different. Anyone less noble would deny owing someone a life’s debt.” Donghyuck shook his head, “Compared to Kun and Taeyong, you’re a saint. And speaking of the two of them, I have somewhere to be, things to do.”</p><p>He turned and left, leaving Mark alone in the empty dining room. He heard a quiet goodbye, but he didn’t reply. The grandeur had long since lost its appeal, and in the current lighting, it felt like nothing more than an empty shell. An empty shell, but it was home. </p><p>Vision had their space in the east wing, in the castle’s top floor, all to themselves. 127 and Dream had the west wing. The royal family, and court-goers were in the north wing, and the south was for visiting dignitaries. </p><p>He headed towards the lion’s den without another word, knocking on the doorway to the common room. A well-lit room, and yet, it took a few moments for him to really locate everyone. </p><p>“Lee Haechan, welcome to our humble abode,” Said Ten. He was the most noticeable, sitting in the centre of all the couches, and armchairs. He put down his book, Donghyuck couldn’t read the title, as it was in an entirely foreign script.</p><p>“Your ex’s favourite,” Said a voice from a chair facing away from him. Dejun peeked out from the chair. One third of the unholy trinity, the question was, where were the two others? “You come here the most often, you know that.”</p><p>“Don’t be an ass, Dejun.” Kun, ever the voice of reason, and rationality. He was standing by the fireplace, talking quietly in tongues to Lucas. Neither of them bothered looking away from their conversation.</p><p>“Just stating a fact, Kun. No need to get pissy over it,” Purred Dejun, his eyes flitted over for only a moment. He looked at Ten again, but he didn’t get any reaction in the slightest. </p><p>Yangyang bounded into the room, a smile plastered on his face. The second part of the unholy trinity accounted for. “Here are all the files we have on the rebellion.”</p><p>Donghyuck nodded, carefully taking the files from Yangyang. Yangyang was the most tolerable of the unholy trinity. He wasn’t manipulative, nor was he good at tearing people apart based on their smallest actions. Yangyang bounded to Hendery’s side immediately, peeking over his shoulder, “What are you reading Guanheng?”</p><p>The last part of the trinity, sitting in the corner of the room, and a book in his hand.  Guanheng was his real name, one that the unholy trinity tossed around without care. No one else was allowed to call him that, even Ten respected that fact.</p><p>Hendery pointed at the part he was reading, and deadpanned, “Erotica. They’re in the middle of an orgy, and the main character is getting fucked by several-”</p><p>Lucas walked over, peeping over the armchair Hendery was curled up in. There was thinly veiled disbelief in his eyes. Yangyang cackled, his laughter covering Hendery’s next words. “He’s just reading fairytales.”</p><p>Ten seemed to have reeled back his borderline murderous rage, a pretty smile back on his face, “You know, Haechan, what I think of rebellion? Rebellions are like little ripples in the water, you know? The more you grab at it, the more you create. And they most certainly don’t appear out of nowhere.”</p><p>Ten was part of Taeyong's inner circle, it made him practically untouchable. And it didn’t help that his first love was Lord Seo’s son. His musings didn’t have any consequences, they never did. Out of everyone, he was the one Taeyong kept on the longest leash.</p><p>Donghyuck used to wonder why Taeyong made Kun the leader of Vision, not when he favoured Ten so much. But Kun was rational where Ten was relying on instinct, and doing things out of his own selfishness. </p><p>Mark noted quietly once that maybe it wasn’t based on Ten’s personality, but because Taeyong couldn’t trust Ten entirely. Jaemin had laughed, “Ten is the only one who owes Taeyong nothing. Of course he doesn’t trust him, no one knows where his head is.”</p><p>Jaemin was right. No one really understood Ten’s brain. He almost flinched from Ten’s stare. He had no doubt that Ten already knew everything about him, only based on his actions. He had done his share of horrible things, but looking at Ten, he wanted to run. </p><p>“It’s not my place to question the King’s tactics,” Replied Donghyuck, staring at Ten dead in the eye. He just wished someone else would intercept this conversation. “Thank you, I’ll-”</p><p>“You hate being here,” Stated Ten frankly. “So why do you keep coming here?”</p><p>“For love, isn’t it?” Asked Dejun, his voice was laced with fake curiosity. Always so fucking smug, wasn’t he? “God, I missed it when Sicheng’s little brother came here, don’t you, Xuxi?”</p><p>Donghyuck stared at Dejun for a moment, before looking down, and flicking through the files. Kun’s handwriting was neat, and everything was beautifully organized. He didn’t have time to read through everything, he briefly scanned the list of names, connections and families.</p><p>Mark had suggested cutting off all the connections, and destroying the families one by one. Taeyong just laughed, “So much work. Minhyung, what did I tell you last night? The King doesn’t care about the long run, he wants them gone, and gone now. That’s his thought process, instant gratification, I don’t care about it frankly. If the bastard wants to run his Empire to the ground, who am I to do or say otherwise.”</p><p>He zoned back into the conversation, to Dejun pouting, “After years of friendship, and I still don’t get that privilege?” </p><p>Kun snapped his fingers a few times, Dejun sat back, and turned away with only a quiet huff. Almost like a mother chastising her child. Donghyuck almost laughed at the imagery. “You have a mission tomorrow, go terrorize your victims instead.”</p><p>“I do?”</p><p>Kun ignored him, “Tell Taeyong he can get the files himself next time.”</p><p>“Tell that to him yourself. I don’t answer to you, just like how no one here answers to Mark.”</p><p>Ten responded in the place of Kun, “But you would answer to Mark, wouldn’t you? No matter what unit you’re in. There’s a few truths you don’t like facing, and that’s one of them.”</p><p>“This is why no one likes us,” Muttered Hendery, “I just want one peaceful afternoon. Just one.”</p><p>Yangyang just laughed. “Haechan likes us enough to keep volunteering to come back for all the errands needed.”</p><p>Dejun hummed, “That’s not for us, though, it’s for Mark.”</p><p>“Can we stop discussing me please? I’m right here.”</p><p>“We’d do it behind your back too, wouldn’t you rather hear what we’re saying?” Asked Yangyang. “I thought we were friends, Haechan, I really did.”</p><p>He was at the end of his rope. The longer he stayed there, the more they would manage to get under skin. Their missions were more focussed on gathering intel than straight up murder, and yet, he felt more safe in a group of murderers.</p><p>“We barely know each other.”</p><p>“You can barely say that you really know anyone in your unit, and yet-”</p><p>Donghyuck shut him down immediately, “I wouldn’t call them my friends either.”</p><p>That was a partial truth. He did care for them, but he didn’t know whether he deserved to call them his friends. He remembered those nights leaving dinner by Jaemin’s room whenever he skipped out, and running quickly so that no one would know. He remembered one night, where he was staking out a place with Renjun, and hushing him gently while Renjun woke up sobbing from a nightmare. He didn’t tell the Empire that Renjun had fallen asleep mid-stakeout either, and neither of them talked about it ever again.</p><p>Thank god Jaehyun was the only one who could see through anyone’s lies. Especially because Jaehyun loved Johnny so much, and Johnny for some reason, always had a soft spot for him.</p><p>Yangyang pouted, and returned to where Hendery was. “So uncaring, Haechan.”</p><p>“I’ll walk you out,” Purred Ten. “If our dear leader has no objections?”</p><p>Kun nodded, “Don’t torment him, Ten.”</p><p>Ten laughed, “I would never.” And with that, he ushered Donghyuck out. The second they left the room’s earshot, Ten spoke softly. It was unusual for him to talk so kindly, he hadn’t heard Ten talk like that in a while. “I can see why Johnny, a man who can’t form attachments even if he wanted to, care for you so much.”</p><p>Donghyuck almost did a double-take. Ten never said anything so kind out of nowhere. “What do you want?”</p><p>“The last part. What you said to Yangyang wasn’t exactly true.” Ten shrugged, a cheshire grin back on his face, and uncaring eyes. “Partial truth anyways. I may not be as good as Jaehyun, but I can at least know when people aren’t saying what they don’t consider the whole truth.”</p><p>“If I didn’t know you any better, then I would’ve thought this was a heart-to-heart.”</p><p>Ten shrugged, “Dream was once under my jurisdiction, I think you forget that. Maybe I care for all of you like I cared for my sister.”</p><p>Donghyuck blinked, he didn’t know whether Ten was lying or not. That was the thing about the Empire. It made everyone such good liars, and every new piece of information was always questioned. “Cared for, past tense?”</p><p>Ten looked at him for a brief moment, “You’re smart enough, Haechan. Why do you think I would use past tense?”</p><p>“She’s dead.”</p><p>Ten hummed, “Now, do you think I killed her myself? Or do you think it was by circumstance? I assume your mind already jumped to a conclusion.”</p><p>However cruel he thought Ten was, all he could wield was his words. He couldn’t kill anyone, at least not directly. He never even saw Ten ever attempting to do hand-to-hand comeback. He avoided physical confrontation well. “Circumstance.”</p><p>“That was a trick question,” Ten laughed quietly. “She’s not dead. Not in the slightest. Very much alive and thriving somewhere. I heard she was married, and taking care of her two children.”</p><p>“Then why-”</p><p>“You’ll figure out the answer eventually.” Ten stopped outside of Taeyong’s office, a room none of Dream, other than Mark, ever entered. It was always closed, and locked. It used to hold so much temptation, but now he couldn’t understand why he cared so much about what may be inside.</p><p>Ten knocked, a mocking smile forming on his face, “Open up, darling.”</p><p>Donghyuck gave him a bewildered look, the raven haired boy just smiled, and motioned for him to get a move on. “Our leader’s in a bad mood today. I wouldn’t recommend sticking around.”</p><p>He didn’t know what kind of masochist would call someone a clearly satire pet name, especially when they were pissed. But then again, when Ten first entered the palace, he and Taeyong were an inseparable duo. Neither of them ever outrightly expressed love for the other, but it was clear that they didn’t stick to each other for any malicious reasons.</p><p>He nodded and left. “Have fun tomorrow,” Called Ten from behind him. He scoffed and kept walking. He needed a long bath, to hopefully forget that this ever happened (He doubted he would, every conversation he ever had with Vision stuck to his mind like a piece of seven year old candy).</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Talk to me on <a href="http://twitter.com/myyueliang">twitter.</a> !!<br/>Also NCT 2020!!! I've never been more excited!!<br/>A few notes: Some people here alternate between their stage names (if I use their stage name at all) and birth names (?), while Donghyuck doesn't go by his real name at all.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. watch me bring the fire and set the night alight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title from Dynamite by BTS</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Good morning Haechan,” Johnny popped up from behind him, dragging his scythe with one hand, and Jaehyun with the other. </p><p>The training room was the size of a ballroom. Instead of flowery perfume in the background, it was the scent of blood that none of them could ever really wash off. Renjun hated this place, even before they began their training, he walked in and his eyes widened as he choked out very quietly, “It smells like that night.”</p><p>Renjun’s parents died horribly. That much he knew, that much everyone knew. Renjun hated blood. But of course, he recovered from that quickly. The Empire helped him overcome it.</p><p>The doors to the training room were unnecessarily heavy, out of all of Dream, Jeno used to be the only one who could open them by himself. There were rafters on the ceiling, ones that Taeyong had put in after Sicheng and Renjun joined them. Apparently, it was unorthodox to hang off of the rafters in the throne room, and the ballroom.</p><p>“I want most of them alive, Seo,” Snapped Taeyong, he stood in the center of the training room. Yuta stood by him, it seemed that Yuta was joining them today. The son of the Minister, decorated general, it seemed he was bored. He looked restless today, however, his eyes scanning the room for something, someone. </p><p>Thank god Yuta was distracted. </p><p>Johnny just smiled, “Of course, after all, when have I ever disobeyed your orders, Highness?”</p><p>Johnny, despite all his general asshole-ness, didn’t ever betray Taeyong. He technically outranked Taeyong, being the legitimate son of a lord. And yet, he took orders without question from him. One of life’s greatest mysteries.</p><p>Taeyong shot him an unimpressed look, “What have I said about that nickname?”</p><p>Johnny shrugged, “Seems like I’ve suddenly lost the ability to hear. Oh dear, what a horrible predicament.”</p><p>“You’re an asshole, Seo. Haechan, you’re late.”</p><p>“I’m five minutes early.”</p><p>Taeyong stared at him in a way that left no room for argument, so he just bowed politely, and muttered an apology. Johnny laughed quietly under his breath, “Always so uptight, aren’t you, highness? It’s like someone shoves a stick up your ass every morning or something.”</p><p>“It’s too early for this, Johnny,” Muttered Jaehyun. “We’re all tired here.”</p><p>Doyoung spoke up from the corner of the room, “Johnny, was one punishment from the courts not enough? Your nature truly never changes.”</p><p>“Oh hush, pillow princess,” Johnny laughed to himself, dragging himself towards the nearest wall, and slumping down. “Can we get this meeting started, highness?”</p><p>Doyoung clenched his fists, nails digging into his palm. Johnny was good at riling people up. It was quite the skill to have, wasn’t it? An invaluable skill that never failed to annoy the shit out of everyone around him. </p><p>Taeyong clapped his hands once, before he spoke harshly, “Listen up, idiots. We’ll be going in a few minutes. Almost everyone vital to the rebellion will be meeting in the abandoned coal mine only a carriage ride away from the Capital.” </p><p>Jungwoo raised his hand akin to a schoolboy. “They’ll be there? All of them?”</p><p>“Meeting of the leaders of each sector.” Taeyong shrugged. “I have to admit, I would’ve never thought about that place as a hideout. Cockiness must’ve made them sloppy. Remember that for the future, Johnny, because that’ll be your downfall.” </p><p>Johnny cackled, “I’ll take note of that, highness.”</p><p>“And Mark.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“That shouldn’t have taken a month to find.”</p><p>Donghyuck glanced across the room to see Mark trying his best to hide his wince. They did their best, he thought. He wanted to tell Mark that, but he couldn’t speak up. He wanted to cross the room to whisper, tell him they’re just kids, that they couldn’t be expected to-</p><p>“Haechan, are you listening?”</p><p>Donghyuck’s head snapped up.  “I-”</p><p>“Daydream somewhere else,” Snapped Taeyong. If he was fully a part of 127, Taeyong would’ve wasted no mercy. But he wasn’t. The King stuck both Mark and him into this unit for their group missions, even though 127 already had enough members. Donghyuck suspected that the King put them in there solely because they were a way to keep his bastard in check.</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“It’s probably trapped, and besides, according to my report, this mine in particular is about 180 feet underground. Doyoung, if you would-” Doyoung handed over a file without blinking. “We have an estimation of where everyone should be. Capture as many people as you can alive. Kill everyone else. Just don’t touch the oil lamps.”</p><p>Taeyong tossed the file to Taeil. “Take the mutt, and get a head start. The rest of you get your asses to the stables.” </p><p>He was the first to leave, being flanked by Johnny and Doyoung. Taeil bowed politely, he would wait until Taeyong was out of sight to move. Jungwoo laughed quietly, petting Taeil’s beautiful white wolf as he did. He always thought that Taeil liked his pet more than he liked humans. </p><p>Yuta gripped his flamethrower tighter, it was different from his usual one, and waltzed out. If Sicheng was here, he would’ve followed Yuta out. There was something between the two of them, Donghyuck wasn’t sure what it was, but all he knew was that he doubted it would last. </p><p>His mother’s words swirled through his head, pretty cursive to match the lilt in her voice. Pretty cursive for such ugly words. Love didn’t last in general. He could hardly remember how she looked, but her words wouldn’t leave his memories. </p><p>(“Let’s go shopping, shall we? Dad needs a new cane,” She said, as she reached for his hand.</p><p>“So you’re just going to leave me?! You’re going to discard me like some second rate piece of trash?! I love you!” She screamed, tears streaming down her face, as the door slammed shut. </p><p>Her quiet laughter, “Hush, baby, go to sleep.”</p><p>Her cold, empty stare as she shouted for him to go away. That he was nothing but his father’s son. Her empty monologues, with empty bottles of wine as her audience. Her sweet smile as her laugh echoed through the busy streets. The hysterical crying as she threw a bouquet of orchids he picked from the garden to the ground).</p><p>Mark sighed quietly, “Come on Haechan. Let’s go before we get yelled at again.”</p><p>*</p><p>The coal mine was as dimly lit as Vision’s wing of the castle. Although Donghyuck knew for a fact that Vision didn’t need to be hidden in the dark to sneak around. The hallways just happened to be the work of Ten and the unholy trinity.</p><p>Taeil was ahead, his wolf in front of him. Johnny brought up the rear, a strategic placement on Taeyong’s part. That was a flaw in 127’s mechanisms, is that they were selfish. Here was a group of people who only ever thought of their own survival. A group of people who had to only think of themselves to survive. Kids that no one cared about, that had to fend for themselves and only themselves. </p><p>So why Johnny? Because out of all of them, he had someone to protect. </p><p>He scraped his scythe behind him, a loud screech following them wherever they went. Taeyong whipped around to look at him, twenty minutes in, “Will it kill you to not cause a headache wherever you go, Seo?”</p><p>Yuta laughed, “He is the headache.”</p><p>“How mean, Nakamoto, my feelings were almost hurt.”</p><p>Yuta was right beside Johnny, his white-blond hair tied up in a ponytail. Yuta was one of the only people Johnny chose not to tease. Jaehyun glanced back from the front, his face softening the moment he saw Johnny. “Can you guys be any less discreet?”</p><p>“We’ve got a lot of walking to go, darling,” Called out Johnny lazily. “Might as well live a little while we can.”</p><p>Jaehyun scowled, but turned around regardless. </p><p>They cared about each other, you could see it in their actions. Johnny would never openly admit any semblance of attachment, genuine human feelings, but you could tell. Why else would a lord’s son cling onto a child of a servant for at least a decade. Why else would Jaehyun have been invited to join Taeyong’s team of rabid hunting dogs?</p><p>Mark was in the front with Taeyong, they were back to arguing quietly. Donghyuck didn’t need to be good at reading body language to know that Mark wasn’t on the winning side. </p><p>“You’re staring again.”</p><p>“You always say that,” Said Donghyuck, glancing at Jungwoo. Soft spoken and quietly manipulative. Blowing up at each other wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, what was surprising was that it was that Sicheng had blown up on Jungwoo of all people.</p><p>It was a while back, when the rebellion problem started, tensions were high. All of the King’s guard dogs were recalled into a meeting to try and figure out an attack plan. Never a good idea. Jungwoo had suggested taking certain measures in the Outskirts first, for the sake of all the stray children.</p><p>Sicheng had finally cracked, “God Jungwoo, drop the fucking act. We all know perfectly well what you are. A manipulative bastard who only thinks of himself,” Spat Sicheng, jabbing a finger in Jungwo’’s direction, “You never cared about any orphans in the outskirts, there’s something else that you want. So say it.”</p><p>Jungwoo chuckled quietly, “Ever so cynical, Sicheng. How could you have ever figured that out.”</p><p>“Cut the shit. What the hell is your motive?” Sicheng turned to look at Taeyong, “You know damn well what he’s trying to do. You know damn well what kind of person he is.”</p><p>Up until that point, Donghyuck had thought of Jungwoo as nothing but the son of someone affluent in the underworld, someone caught up in a mess because of all his connections. But that day had proven otherwise. </p><p>Jungwoo laughed lightly, “You got me. The entrance to the main underworld is there. The orphanage is nothing more than a cover, and it’d be a shame if the rebellion got into their heads, and told them lies about how malevolent the Empire is.”</p><p>Taeyong was one of the only people who wasn’t surprised by his apathy, “Get your connections to take care of it. I’ll allow it without telling my father.”</p><p>Jungwoo scared him, yet another ugly person hiding behind a pretty persona. That was the only time he saw Sicheng so ticked off. The only other time was the day that Yuta arrived at the palace. </p><p>Jungwoo laughed quietly, “You’re too obvious. Has anyone ever told you that you wouldn’t last a single day in the outskirts?”</p><p>He scoffed, and walked faster. He just wanted the argument between Taeyong and Mark to be over so that he could talk to Mark. There was a new bakery in the Capital that he wanted to sneak out to try. </p><p>Johnny cackled, only for Taeyong’s head to snap back, “Quiet down, all of you. We’re almost there. The mineshaft should be around here somewhere.  The elevator should be right there somewhere. It fits only three, Nakamoto, Seo, how do you feel about starting this slaughter off with me?”</p><p>“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Johnny grinned lazily. </p><p>Taeyong didn’t reply, just lazily glancing down the mineshaft, “Doyoung, take Jungwoo and Jaehyun. Taeil, send the two kids down afterwards. Stay up here and wait with your mutt.”</p><p>The three people that caused the most mass destruction would lead the attack. That made perfect sense. If Sicheng was here, he would’ve joined the three of them. He was far more efficient than all of them combined. Taeyong was a whispered horror, one the entire empire knew about, and Sicheng followed closely behind. A murderous killer who faded in and out of the shadows. The bastard’s most ruthless weapon. </p><p>Donghyuck didn’t forget the boy he was before he built up an armour around himself of whispered words and poisoned needles. </p><p>Sicheng came into the palace, a boy their age clinging to him. Mark whispered to him, “He doesn’t make any noise when he walks. I only hear one set of footsteps.”</p><p>“So he’s a dancer?” Asked Donghyuck quietly, from where they were hidden behind a bush in the courtyard. Taeyong stood next to Sicheng, he was gesturing quietly, and despite the look of disinterest in his face, the boy was listening intently.</p><p>“I don’t think so, he moves way too lightly to be one. He moves on the ground like it’s air.”</p><p>Mark had been right. A week later, Renjun was caught on the rafters of the throne room, flying through the air with a long length of silk. Donghyuck could only stare in awe as Taeyong snapped for Sicheng to control his brother, before he stormed out. </p><p>Sicheng had been blank-faced from the start. But he had a different aura to him, a slightly more approachable one. One that showed obvious reverence for Taeyong, and concern for his brother. And now, he was unreadable, even to his own brother.</p><p>“Doyoung, how long do we have to wait?”</p><p>Doyoung popped a lollipop into his mouth, sighing as he did. “If I had to guess? It’ll take ten minutes for sleeping gas to take effect. If they realize in time, then well, we won’t have to do anything but wait. And if it does take effect after ten minutes, then it should only be a minute or two. Now come on, let’s go before everyone gets a little too trigger happy, shall we?”</p><p>Taeyong seldom explained his plans thoroughly. He didn’t need to, however, loyalty was a monster when welded right. And all those monsters would follow Taeyong to the end of the world.</p><p>Except for Doyoung, for some reason, he was privy to knowing all mission plans in advance.</p><p>Jungwoo sat down, “Poker, anyone?”</p><p>Everyone stared at him blankly, Jaehyun scoffed, “The deck’s marked. And you have a whole deck hidden in your sleeves. When did you even have enough time to do that?”</p><p>“Just now actually. No use in fooling you, huh?” Jungwoo flicked his arm, and a cascade of cards fell out. “Double deck poker?”</p><p>“Both decks are marked, aren’t they?” Jungwoo’s silence was just as telling as his words. At least to Jaehyun, they were. “They are. And they’re all marked completely differently, right? You’d have to memorize one hundred and four card backings.”</p><p>“Are you sure you’re not a mind reader, Jung?”</p><p>“Deduction based on pre-existing skill, nothing extraordinary about that.”</p><p>Donghyuck turned to Mark, “Sleeping gas?”</p><p>“We need them alive. This is the only way to avoid outright slaughter. Chenle developed an odourless and colourless formula a while back, it doesn’t work very fast though. He’s still working on it.”</p><p>“When did he bring that?” No one was carrying an unnecessary canister of gas. Taeyong even seemed lighter today, he only had one visible knife on his person. The only thing slightly different was the large coil of rope that Jaehyun carried.</p><p>Mark thought for a few seconds, “Yuta’s flamethrower, if I had to guess. That’s why there’s a different one today. The tanks are probably filled with-”</p><p>“I get it already, idiot, stop over explaining.” </p><p>Mark had been in the dark just like him. He seemed to be much better at catching onto Taeyong’s plans. </p><p>Doyoung stood up, and stretched, discarding the lollipop stick to the side. “Let’s go. The bastard will probably need help tying people up. We’ll execute everyone else. No survivors, except the important ones.”</p><p>Jaehyun followed him wordlessly.</p><p>“See you in a few, kids,” Said Jungwoo softly, before he headed down with the rest of them. It took a few seconds for their footsteps to fade away completely. </p><p>Taeil pulled out his pocket watch, “In a few seconds. We might as well wait here, seeing Jaehyun will be likely to send the elevator back up.”</p><p>Donghyuck groaned, “How far down is that freaking mine shaft anyway? We already walked for way too fucking long, and now this? I thought it’d be over by now but no, stupid fucking meeting spot is so fucking well chosen. God, I wish Taeyong would tell us more. What are we even waiting a few minutes for anyways?”</p><p>Taeil glanced at the two of them, “The elevator takes time, you know. Unless you two want to climb all the way down the mineshaft.” He paused for a brief moment, “That was a joke.”</p><p>Awkward. Conversation has never been Taeil's strong suit. Not that it mattered, not when Taeyong only cared about collecting the most powerful tools. So it happened they each had their flaws, but Taeyong didn’t care, not when their strengths far outweighed their flaws. And if it benefitted the Empire, then the king couldn’t care less either.</p><p>In a way, Taeyong had the Empire barely within reach.</p><p>“The two of you could probably head down soon.”</p><p>And so they went. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bloodshed in front of him. Yuta’s flamethrower was dispelling the sleeping gas, he was the only one wearing a cloth over his face. He threw a bottle to the two of them, “The antidote, one sip could probably do. Try not to faint before then.”</p><p>With that, he continued deeper into the mines. </p><p>He had been a general, a major factor in the wars that had led to the Empire’s victory. Donghyuck heard that he defeated an entire battalion by himself. Gilded general at twenty three. He could’ve easily been the leader in the place of Taeyong.</p><p>Mark looked horrified, “There weren't supposed to be children here.”</p><p>What? He glanced around, to see a trembling child in the corner, he was wailing. No doubt for the woman on the ground, still gasping for him to run. All around him was an unanticipated chaos. This wasn’t the image he had in his head at all. </p><p>He had thought it to be nothing but a mindlessly rounding up people, and shipping them back into the capital in chains. The King would have the prisoners paraded around before their inevitable death.</p><p>This was different, he stared wide-eyed at everything around him. “This isn’t a meeting place-”</p><p>“It’s a hideout. Probably a refugee from the Outskirts too,” Finished Mark. “Holy shit, why would someone reveal this to the enemy? That’s- that's so- that’s so incredibly fucked up on multiple levels. Taeyong-”</p><p>Taeyong stood in the center of it all, his face screwed in obvious distaste. He looked so uncaring. He was holding a man by the hair, his voice was barely audible, “This one’s someone to keep alive. Jung-”</p><p>It smelt of blood all over again, the metallic stench filled up his head, and all he could do was stare in mild horror. This wasn’t what normally happened, Mark looked sick, “Are we- are we killing the children?”</p><p>Donghyuck frowned, his eyes quickly scanning the room, “There’s at least a hundred people here. Families. I mean, this explains the disappearances of notable families from the Capital, especially when the King tightened the patrols. I mean it’ll be hard writing the mission reports for all of this, but I’m not the one that has to-”</p><p>“Fuck, that’s the only thing you say?” Mark dashed forward, to the kid and the mother, “Hey-”</p><p>The kid flinched, there was so much hatred and fear in his eyes.”Mom!” And the mother, it didn’t matter how much of the gas she inhaled, once it passed your nasal cavity, it worked its way through the brain, duplicating endlessly, and exiting out harmlessly in a few hours or so. She pushed herself up, and in front of her child, “Get...away from him you- you bastard.”</p><p>Mark winced, “Haechan, this-”</p><p>Donghyuck huffed, “That’s useless, Lee. Regardless of age and gender, they still chose to betray the Empire. Just kill them already.” He stomped his heel on the ground, walking towards the three of them. He swung his leg in a large arc, slitting the woman’s throat with the blade on the toe of his boot. He had been meaning to test them out in combat, and this moment seemed perfect for it. </p><p>Mark stared at him, “Haechan-”</p><p>He didn’t care, focusing his attention at the trembling child. His coat was bright yellow, he thought, before crouching down to the kid’s level. “You think your mommy’s going to save you? That your parents can fight every scary monster in the world? They’re grownups, right, and everything is going,” he leaned in closer, “To be fine. You’re all alone now, no one’s going to save you now.”</p><p>With that, he stood up, “Now have fun bearing the weight of your parent’s mistakes until you’re dead. If you’re smart, you’ll learn to save yourself.”</p><p>Orphaned, and discarded. Sounds oddly familiar.</p><p>“Come on lionheart, there’s a lot of ground to cover here, and you’re going to have to help, aren’t you?”</p><p>Mark nodded dumbly, and followed him deeper into the tunnels. There were obvious signs of life, cheerful little colours in such a dimly lit place. So much homelier than the place he called home for the past few years of his life. Most people seemed asleep already, and if they weren’t, Yuta madly blasting sleeping gas everywhere was bound to fix it. </p><p>The antidote was giving him a headache, another mild flaw in the formula. He kicked aside some of the blankets on the floor, carefully avoiding the oil lamps. Taeyong’s cryptic orders, but he followed them , no matter how confusing and out of context they were.</p><p>“There’s families down here-”</p><p>“Never had one,” Lied Donghyuck. “Wouldn’t know why you look so scared to break one up. People will have to learn to adapt without being constantly surrounded by love, I mean that’s what we did, is it not?”</p><p>“You’ve changed.”</p><p>“Most people change Mark.”</p><p>People can have someone who they love like the moon loves the sun, and yet, all stars fade eventually. Human nature changed in a split second. You think you can control people, and yet all you had was an illusion of what control was. All human emotion was beyond fickle, and only people like Ten, and Sicheng seemed to understand it, but even they couldn’t understand it completely.</p><p>That kid in the bright yellow would understand it all soon. Hatred would stem from their interaction, and what he used to hold so dear would never be quite as happy ever again. Happiness, and nostalgia tinged with sadness, and the feeling of failure. </p><p>“A mini you,” Said the voice in his head that sounded oddly like his mother. “Fueled by rage and regret. How soon before it all turns to apathy?” He wanted nothing more than to shut her up. Forever. Her voice wasn’t the soft lilt he remembered, today it felt more like tiny little pins, stabbing into his brain repeatedly. </p><p>Her words still had that soft lilt to them.</p><p>“I know, I just didn’t realize it until now I guess,” Mumbled Mark. </p><p>“Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s more blankets than there are people. There’s got to be a secret hideout somewhere.”</p><p>Mark glanced at Yuta. “Two tanks. Usually he’s only got one. That’s what Taeyong meant by the oil lamps. He was slower than usual, he’s usually in the front with Taeyong and Doyoung. He’s not going deeper into the mines to distribute the gas, he’s got a separate mission.”</p><p>“As expected from Taeyong’s predecessor. Now would you care about guessing where I hid the explosives on my body?” Yuta materialized from behind them. </p><p>Mark shook his head, “It’s probably a trick question.”</p><p>“Smart boy. Let’s hurry, Taeyong’s been having the time of his life getting the kindling up and down in groups of threes. He’s been cursing the stupid elevator-mine shaft system like mad. You can hear the crude edges of the Outskirts shitty dialect in his princely accent.”</p><p>The princely accent was a facade. Taeyong probably reveled in the power trip, the imagery of the King’s dirty-little-secret-turned-killer speaking accentless, with the very dialect of someone raised in the Capital. A vermin who crawled his way up speaking just like they did.</p><p>“That’s why Taeil stayed up there, right?” Asked Mark, “His skill set isn’t much use here.”</p><p>That would explain it. He was there to make sure all the kindlings-to-be don’t try killing themselves before they go up in flames in front of a grand audience. Taeyong needed someone on the other side of the elevator. He doubted he even knew the extent of Taeyong’s plans, there was more behind the scenes, not that he’d know.</p><p>“Does Taeyong not trust us enough?” He wondered out loud. </p><p>“There’s something called the Jaehyun incident. Happened before the two of you were forced to join us,” Yuta shrugged. “Now hurry up the elevator, I have some havoc to wreak, unless you want to be burnt alive.”</p><p>On their way back, he noted all the knocked over lamps. He couldn’t see well in the dark, all the times he had been locked in a closet just ended up scaring him. He clutched the sleeve of Mark’s jacket like it was a lifeline.</p><p>The elevator descended and ascended quickly. He stumbled out rather quickly, sighing relief at the lamps sitting all around the vermin they managed to round up. He let go of Mark as soon as Jungwoo opened the elevator’s scissor gate. </p><p>He couldn’t show them weakness, not when the King liked claiming how much better the six of them were in comparison. Not so strong-willed, and much more ruthless. Everyone else was above, with various splatters of blood, Johnny was laughing while Jaehyun scolded him for being careless enough. He was bleeding, realized Donghyuck. </p><p>The gas didn’t take immediate effect. The first three to go down definitely had to take the brunt of the combat. Taeyong took that into account, so why would he send himself down too, not just someone else?</p><p>“You knew this wasn’t just a meeting place,” Accused Mark immediately. “Why didn’t you tell me-”</p><p>“You would be less compliant if you knew.” Taeyong ran a hand through his white hair nonchalantly. He didn’t even spare a glance.</p><p>“We could’ve spared them-”</p><p>Taeyong looked at him coldly, “The survivors would’ve held nothing but hatred for the Empire. A much more powerful motivation than greed, to be quite honest with you. You have to realize that you can’t help everyone.”</p><p>“Do you have to be so damn cruel? There were children down there! Kids! Do you just not care for anything?!”</p><p>Taeyong’s face turned positively murderous, he walked across the room, and slammed Mark against the wall, dust and rocks falling down as he did. In a quiet growl he said, “I cared for someone before, Minhyung. Not that you would know jackshit about it.</p><p>“He was just like you, you know? Stupidly naive about saving the world. He could fight better than half the people in this fucking room. And yet he died. Why? Because he cared too much.” Taeyong smiled cruelly, “Want to know what happened to him?”</p><p>“I-”</p><p>“I killed him.” And with that, he dropped Mark onto the floor of the abandoned coal mine. “Any other questions, Minhyung? Do you want to hear more about how his blood splattered? How people he wouldn't have hesitated to help just stared at him, and went about their normal lives?”</p><p>His accent slipped through as he talked. The elegant dialect of the courts turned into something more broken down, and coarse. </p><p>“No, sir.”</p><p>Taeyong turned to look at all of them, “What the hell are you all staring at?”</p><p>“Ever so brutal, highness,” Said Johnny loftily. “The imperial guards should be here any minute, according to the note I dropped on their captain’s desk. Come, Jaehyun.”</p><p>Jaehyun stood up from tying the group of at least ten that they had gathered. His face gave everything he was thinking away. Taeyong hadn’t been telling the whole truth. And if both Johnny and Yuta refused to acknowledge that for the sake of a cheap joke, then it was best not to delve into anything.</p><p>Doyoung pulled him away from Mark gently. Donghyuck ran to Mark as soon as he did. He held out a hand, and quietly asked, “Normally, they say not to poke a bear, which means you definitely shouldn’t poke a mentally unstable, and morally fucked bear.”</p><p>Mark used his hand to pull himself up, “The kid-”</p><p>“Would’ve died regardless. If he had been smart, he would’ve ran when his mother told him to.”</p><p>Mark dusted himself off as dignified as he could. “He’s a kid.”</p><p>“We were all kids, Mark. Maybe you were born to a mother and a father who loved you, but the rest of us weren’t so lucky.” </p><p>Mark talked like a royalty, like a rich man’s son. He didn’t need to crawl his way from hell, he was just placed with the rest of them out of pure luck (But was it really luck?).</p><p>“You don’t know me, Haechan-”</p><p>“I could argue the same, lionheart. Heachan isn’t even my real name.” He let go of Mark’s hand. “Let’s go, I can smell the fuel, and the blood. It hurts my head.”</p><p>Mark stared at him for a moment, before he ran quickly to catch up, “Your name isn’t Haechan?!”</p><p>It was so cold when that nice man crouched in front of him, and gently asked for his name. He wanted to forget everything that had happened, he wanted nothing more than to leave that boy behind. “Haechan.”</p><p>“How would you like some food, Haechan?” Asked the man softly. He led him out of the alley and into a plain looking carriage. It was warm, and there were blankets. He chattered happily as the man handed him a cup of steaming hot tea. That was the night he met Mark.</p><p>He was stupid to trust some random man, but he had been desperate, and he had nothing to lose. And now, he would be lying if he said that he still had nothing to lose. </p><p>He walked ahead of Mark, not answering whatever he asked next. He wasn't about to bring up some pathetic boy from the past. That boy was no better than the boy in the yellow coat moments ago. Judging by the way the ground shook, the boy was just as gone as Lee Donghyuck was.</p><p>(The only difference was that his mother loved him to the very end).</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You people had no clue how long I cackled at the chapter title. Dark humour at it's finest, amirite?<br/><a href="http://twitter.com/myyueliang">twitter.</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Oh my God, she showed me all the stars (stars, stars, stars)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title from Oh my god by G(i)-dle (stream dumdi dumdi)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mark had disappeared right after they arrived at the palace. He didn’t even wait until Taeyong dismissed them. Taeyong, to everyone’s surprise, didn’t particularly care, he didn’t bother sending someone to drag Mark back. All he did was scoff as he told the rest of them to fuck off.</p><p>His exact words were, “Fuck back into whatever sorry hole you came from. I don’t have the energy for your shit anymore. Take care of the briefing, Johnny, Yuta report the results to your father.”</p><p>(The bastard that had to fight for his own survival for years spoke just as harshly as he used to. It didn’t matter that his accent switched from the rough dialect of the outskirts to the lilting and elegant talk worthy of the royal family, he was still the same).</p><p>Donghyuck wasted no time looking for Mark. He bowed politely, and excused himself, wanting nothing more than to peel the blood-soaked clothes off. So pristine, not a single speck of blood to be found, and yet, all he could see was blood. He just wanted to soak it all away. </p><p>He was killing for the greater good, he reminded himself. This was the blood of villains and fools who conspire against the government and the law. </p><p>Donghyuck pushed all his thoughts away, he didn’t want to think about any of this. He turned the knob to his room, and entered his own beautiful brightly coloured suite. His room was never a welcoming sight after missions, and today was no exception.</p><p>(The room felt just as empty as the alley he used to sleep in. The first night in the castle had been rather welcoming. He had eaten his fill, and a nice lady showed him to his room. </p><p>The appeal had faded away in the second week. It was apparent that Mark felt the same way, the second week, he quietly dragged Donghyuck away after training. “There’s a place where they don’t look for you,” He told him with a gentle smile as he led him away. </p><p>The hallways didn’t seem so vast and scary when Mark was dragging him by the hand as he talked about the workings of the palace quietly. The two of them struggled to pull themselves out the window and onto the roof, and Mark had shot him a smile, and he smiled back, just as brightly. </p><p>It was nearing dusk, and the skies painted his new home pink. His new home grinned, “Isn’t it pretty?”</p><p>“Yeah. It is.”</p><p>And that’s when he started sleeping on the roof to avoid the lady that showed him to the training room in the mornings. They didn’t tell him why he was there, in the palace, and all he knew was that if he followed their orders, he would get food, and the occasional golden coin.</p><p>Even when he was twelve, he knew the palace was just as empty as its inhabitants.)</p><p>He peeled off his bloody shirt, and grabbed one of stupidly expensive night shirts, and peeled off his boots while half trying to button up his shirt. He walked out as soon as he was fully dressed, walking to the end of the hall and gently forcing the window open. He climbed out easily, swinging himself up to the rooftop. </p><p>Mark was there, raven hair being blown by the night winds. His home was painted with dark indigos, and navy blues. </p><p>“Haechannie.”</p><p>“Lionheart.”</p><p>Mark patted at the spot next to him. He had the foresight to lay his coat down onto the ground. It was the jet black coat he used for every mission with 127. He carefully made his way next to him. </p><p>“You okay?” He asked softly.</p><p>Mark didn’t answer him, at least not in the way he wanted, “Remember when we used to come up here when we were kids? You used to drag me up here all the time. I think at one point you brought your mattress up here.”</p><p>He didn’t mention how he was banned from sleeping up on the roof after they finally had enough of extracting him from the rooftops. That day he learnt a new rule to the game, that as long as he didn’t disobey, he wouldn’t get hurt.</p><p>“You were the one that showed me this spot, as I recall.”</p><p>“You made it yours pretty quickly,” Noted Mark.</p><p>“I did.”</p><p>“You hated the stars, I remember that much. I don’t know why, I still don’t, actually.”</p><p>“Because the second that King dragged you away for a private meeting, you changed.” Donghyuck sat down next to him, his face as blank as possible. “Will you ever tell me what happened? Or leave me in the dark just as everyone else?”</p><p>“I made a mistake, Haechan. I know that now,” Said Mark quietly, almost like he didn’t want to believe the words that he was saying. There was regret in his eyes, regret and fear. “I don’t need you to forgive me right now, I just need to know that-”</p><p>“You’re ridiculous,” Snapped Donghyuck. His eyes traced over the constellations he used to love so much. </p><p>“I realize that now. And I think I’m going to do something even more stupid.”</p><p>Donghyuck hummed, “Why are you telling me? I’m not going to stop you, you know.”</p><p>He couldn’t even if he wanted to. Because at the end of the day, he far valued Mark more than he valued himself. The world wouldn’t even blinked if he disappeared, but without Mark, the world would be a far uglier place.</p><p>In a way, he was just as blindly loyal as Johnny was.</p><p>“Would you join me?”</p><p>Blind loyalty was what got him here in the first place, he reminded himself. But he was his mother’s child after all. He shook his head, “I’m stupid enough to trust you, not stupid enough to follow you to the ends of the world without any explanation, however.”</p><p>“But you would, if I explained something, right?” </p><p>His father had promised the same thing, sweetly asking if his mother would follow him to the ends of the world. She didn’t even hesitate to say otherwise. Look where it got her, from the fairest to the wicked witch that seemed to haunt him everywhere he went.</p><p>She was renowned for her beauty and kindness, and his father for his wits. The perfect fairytale couple, a shame that not everyone got happily ever afters. His mother had always been beautiful, even with her warped voice poisoning his mind. The evil stepmother in the body of snow white.</p><p>He stared off, raising a hand to trace over his mother’s favourite constellations. Cygnus looked just as bright as it did the night his mother led him out into the woods and showed him all the stars. She always loved the stars. A hopeless romantic who fell hard, so hard that she didn’t even know whether she loved him, or the idea of a perfect ending.</p><p>His dad liked saying he was like his mother, and his mother always said he was his father’s child, through and through. He didn’t like to think of himself as either one. His father was a jerk, and his mother was nothing but a delusional lunatic who happened to be blessed with looks, and always in her own head.</p><p>(He was more like his mother than he’d like to admit).</p><p>“Hey. What are you thinking about.”</p><p>“Swans,” He answered honestly. He changed the subject so that Mark wouldn’t inquire any further. He had always been too curious for his own good. “I hate this fucking jacket, reminds me of Taeyong.”</p><p>“It used to be his, actually, Taeyong gave it to me after the first mission we failed. He screamed at me first, obviously, but…” Mark didn’t finish, trailing off as his fingers traced over one of the buttons. It was a well-made jacket, although the style was older by at least a few years.</p><p>Sentiment and the King’s bastard. An awfully weird combination. He didn’t understand the intent behind his actions, but he wasn’t in a place to question him at all.</p><p>“Weird of him to be so kind to you.”</p><p>It wasn’t that Taeyong used to be kind like some of them used to be as children. No, he was always the same crappy person he once was, he had to be. It was weird to hear anything kind about Taeyong, especially stories from the past.</p><p>Mark just shrugged, he probably didn’t understand the white-haired boy’s motives either.</p><p>It’s been a while since they talked like this. He couldn’t remember the last time they went up here together. They didn’t even need a signal, just a simple nod after training, and they just knew. They weren’t that close anymore.</p><p>(Donghyuck allowed his mind to wander to the past for a moment, they were the closest to each other as kids, as they both arrived in the palace, only slightly after Taeyong. Taeyong didn’t talk to either of them, he was angry and brooding a lot of the time, and terrifying all of the time. He used to glare at anyone in his immediate vicinity, finger’s tightening over the knife that he always carried. </p><p>The King posted two guards on him at all times, and he still managed to shake them off every now and then. He believed that Taeyong could’ve shaken them off at all times if he wanted to, but he didn’t for some reason. Maybe he just didn’t feel the need to.</p><p>That wasn’t the point. The point was that Taeyong didn’t want to interact with either of them. Mark did try, he honestly did try to make friends with him, and by the time that Donghyuck showed up, he had given up. To have someone like Mark Lee give up on something he set his mind to was rather impressive.</p><p>Renjun was the third one to arrive, but he had been attached to his brother like crazy. He clung onto Sicheng constantly, and Taeyong tolerated it. So it wasn’t kids he hated, afterall. Jaemin came two months after Renjun did. He and Jisung were rarely seen in the palace. Jeno and Chenle both came a year later, only days apart.)</p><p>Mark finally spoke up again, “It’s a long story, I guess. Taeyong has his reasons for almost everything, this was one of the only times I can say with absolute certainty that I know what it was.”</p><p>“And you won’t tell me that either,” Remarked Donghyuck bitterly. </p><p>“Haechan, I don’t even know your real name and you’re getting annoyed about some tiny detail of my life?” Asked Mark in exasperation.</p><p>“Touché,” He scoffed quietly under his breath. “Anyways, you’re not up here because not knowing my name wasn’t actually Haechan sent you in some deep spiral of distress, are you?”</p><p>“I’ve been thinking lately, I guess.”</p><p>“Cryptic. Be a little more mysterious, and you’re following right after Taeyong’s footsteps. Almost completely in his footsteps, to be honest. How unfortunate that you have a heart.” </p><p>Ironic, wasn’t it? The King put them through the most cruel training, but none of them could ever reach the heartlessness that 127 and Vision already had. How ironic, the new generation meant to surpass the first generation, with all the skill and talent, but none of the ruthlessness. </p><p>(He was sure that if it came down to skill, they would stand a fair chance at winning the fight against both 127 and Vision. But if factors such as sentiment and emotions were accounted for, they would lose in an instant.)</p><p>“Haechan, can I ask you something?’ Asked Mark. He looked at him so caringly. There was a sky full of stars, and yet Mark’s eyes were flickering towards him constantly. </p><p>“You don’t have to ask, you know?It’s pretty much redundant to ask if you could ask someone something.”</p><p>“I know but I-”</p><p>“Just ask.”</p><p>Out of all the things that Mark could’ve asked, this wasn’t what he had expected at all. “Are you happy here?”</p><p>Donghyuck tried his hardest not to show his surprise. He didn’t expect this in the slightest. How Sicheng could be so blank and reactionless all the time, he could not understand. How was he even supposed to answer this? Was this one of the Empire’s ridiculous loyalty tests? “Are you?” He rebutted cautiously. </p><p>“I don’t know, to be honest. I thought I was. Or at least that I could be.”</p><p>So it wasn’t a loyalty test, it was nothing but a question from someone as lost as he was.</p><p>“What is with everyone and speaking in riddles? Cut the shit, and tell me what you really want.”</p><p>“My mother was power-hungry, but she did love and care for me. I was sent here primarily because my mother wanted to somehow climb her way back into the Capital’s finest socialites. I stayed here because I was promised something.”</p><p>“By your mother?”</p><p>Mark frowned, his mouth set to a grim line, “My father actually. I don’t know, but I think that I’m never going to get what I’ve been promised, over and over. The same old empty thing, and my mother fell for it both times.”</p><p>“Promises are just lies for the gullible, I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out yet.” His mother had muttered that over and over, during one of her breakdowns. Donghyuck remembered standing in the corner, crying as his mother mumbled the same thing, again and again. She just kept sending herself in hysterics, and there was nothing he could do about it.</p><p>“What made you so jaded?”</p><p>“My mother,” Answered Donghyuck honestly. He had entered the palace with a head full of optimism, despite all that happened to him, that these were nice people. Nice people who told him, no, promised him that everything was going to be okay. It took a few years for him to realize otherwise.</p><p>Nothing was ever okay, no matter how many bad people he killed. There was going to be more. It’ll always be for the sake of the Empire, and never for himself. He was doing good, but all he could ever hear was the screams of the blackened, not the gratitude of the people he was protecting.</p><p>“You haven’t answered my question.”</p><p>“The Empire treats me kindly, and gives me more than enough gold to spend. I see no reason to be unhappy.”</p><p>“That wasn’t a definitive answer.”</p><p>“It’s the Capital, nothing will ever be definitive. Everything is made of smoke and mirrors. You picked up more of their habits than I thought.”</p><p>“I grew up in the courts,” Confessed Mark, this was news to him, he had assumed Mark was the son of some wealthy merchants by the way he acted. “My mother was quite popular, invited to every fancy ball, every party. I just prefer to stay out of their ridiculous dick-measuring contests.”</p><p>“We haven’t attended in a while,” Murmured Donghyuck, he snuck a glance at Mark. “Remember how we were to attend as children? It was just another form of training, in retrospect.”</p><p>“I hated it.” </p><p>“Same.” He thought back to Mark’s question earlier, he looked at Mark. “Mark? Are you happy here?” He didn’t look away yet, telling himself it was only so that he could gauge Mark’s reaction.</p><p>“I’m happy right now.”</p><p>Neither of them mentioned how it wasn’t a proper answer either. The Empire was not kind to them, that much was clear. Why be kind to mere weapons? In the end, they were barely a person, barely a dog. Nothing but a well kept knife.</p><p>“I mean, I really thought I was. I thought I was okay with everything but more and more it feels like I was just lying to myself.”</p><p>“You’re an idiot.”</p><p>“Hey Haechan? Why are we still here?”</p><p>“Is that some sort of existential question?” Donghyuck snorted. “Why are we still in this stupid place? Why are we still living? You’re getting rather philosophical with me, you know. Kind of ridiculous, really.”</p><p>“You hate the palace. You’re still here.”</p><p>“First of all, I never said I hate the palace. And second of all, I have nowhere else to be, Mark. There’s no one who wants me home.” Donghyuck sighed, hugging his knees to his chest. “We’re all orphans with no allegiance to anyone but ourselves, isn’t that why the King chose us?”</p><p>“I’m not-”</p><p>“You’re special. Congratulations, your parents care about you.”</p><p>“They don’t,” Shot Mark instinctively, he didn’t seem to be lying, just resigned, and as honest as he always was. “You know, Haechan, I just realized something I should’ve realized a long time ago. I could spend my whole life trying to appease my dad, and I’ll still never be good enough for him. The truth is, he doesn’t even have a standard for what’s good enough. I’m just not even part of it. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”</p><p>“You’re a constant people-pleaser with some sort of complex. It’s unsurprising that someone took advantage of that. You know Mark, out of everyone, you’re the most honest with your emotions.” He didn’t mean to sound so cold. </p><p>“There’s nothing wrong with being honest with your emotions. At least there shouldn’t have been anything wrong with it in the first place! Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”</p><p>He shrugged, to be honest, he didn’t entirely understand, “It’s a flaw for someone who is supposed to be nothing but a tool. But at the same time, I guess it’s why the King made you our leader. Higher chance of survival, because your empathy would never choose any path that endangers any of us more than it should.”</p><p>“Where are you going with this?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Donghyuck shrugged, he shot Mark a small smile. “But all of that completely aside, you’re good enough for me, lionheart.”</p><p>Mark stared at him, open-mouthed, “Do you really think so?”</p><p>“I mean sure, I think you could do with a little less compassion. You’re fundamentally weak for the job that you are meant to do. Jeno was right, you know? Your unfortunate downfall is that you are a perfectionist who actually cares about people.”</p><p>“You had something nice going on there and you completely ruined it.”</p><p>“My one and only talent.”</p><p>Mark shoved him lightly, “That’s not funny, sunshine.”</p><p>“Maybe not to the boy whose sentimentalism will get him killed.” Donghyuck stared at the sky, his finger gently tracing over Leo’s constellation. What was the point of constellations named after animals and stories, when all they looked like was weird little shapes. Tiny little boxes names after great myths and stories.</p><p>There were hundreds and millions of those stars in the sky, and yet Mark kept his attention of him. All he could do was avert his gaze to the stars and trace over each constellation gently, the way his mother used to do.</p><p>“Your lack of sentiment is what’s going to get people killed.”</p><p>Donghyuck frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“You tell me, Haechannie.”</p><p>“I don’t want to really figure any of this out,” Donghyuck yawned.</p><p>“Look, a shooting star.”</p><p>Donghyuck glanced at Mark, “What?” </p><p>Mark looked at the sky with so much childlike innocence, he didn’t look like that often, at all. Donghyuck frowned, has he ever really seen anyone so amused by something tiny?</p><p>(The answer was yes, a few winters back, Taeyong stood in the courtyard, all bundled up in his fur-lined coat. Donghyuck watched from his bedroom window as all the hard lines of Taeyong’s face softened into wonder as he stared at the falling snow. Doyoung stood beside him, back when he was still nothing but the son of some duke. Donghyuck ignored the way Doyoung casually intertwined their hands).</p><p>“There’s been at least four of them tonight. You didn’t see any?”</p><p>Donghyuck shook his head, “No, not really.” It seems that he had been too distracted, despite the fact he had been staring at the stars almost all night. How unbecoming of someone who was supposed to be as instinctive as a dog. </p><p>Mark smiled to himself. “Four wishes for me.” </p><p>“You’re an idiot to believe in that.” </p><p>“Coming from a cynic who doesn’t believe in anything.”</p><p>Donghyuck snorted, “Believing gets you nowhere.”</p><p>Mark rested his head onto Donghyuck’s shoulder, “It’s human nature to want to find something to believe in, you know. Why do you think religion exists?”</p><p>“Religion exists because humans can not stand not knowing the reasoning behind things. And besides, we got our human nature beaten out of us years ago,” Snapped Donghyuck, he gently patted Mark on his head, running a hand through his hair. “You’re too soft for this, I wonder why they did not take you out of this project, just as they did Chenle.”</p><p>Mark was soft, but during missions, it was like a switch flipped, and there was a trained killer in the skin suit of a boy he adored and looked up to. Mark was just as terrifying as Taeyong in those moments.</p><p>“You’re still human.” </p><p>Donghyuck glanced at Mark, “I know that, dummy.”</p><p>Mark looked back up at him, “Do you?”</p><p>Sometimes he hated the serious talks that he had with Mark once in a blue moon. Mark always knew when he was unsure. He frowned, “I don’t know. I choose not to think about it. It’s a lot easier to just avoid conflicting feelings, than to confront them.”</p><p>“Emotional constipation,” Mark hummed, he looked up at Donghyuck, “Hey sunshine?”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>Mark stared at him for a moment, a soft but determined look in his eyes, “I love you.”</p><p>Donghyuck stared at him for a moment. He was dense, and not the most people-oriented, but in that moment, the way that Mark was looking at him couldn’t have meant anything other than romantically. </p><p>He shoved Mark off of his shoulder, moving backwards quickly. He laughed nervously, shaking his head quickly as he looked at Mark in growing horror. “No no no no no. Please no. No-” His hand felt air, and he quickly moved away from the edge of the rooftop, “No.”</p><p>“Haechan I-”</p><p>He couldn’t breathe. He was gasping in air, and yet he still couldn’t breathe. “No you don’t. You don’t love me-” he stood up, clutching his hands to his chest like he used to when his parents fought.</p><p>“Haechan-“ </p><p>He could count his heartbeats without needing to put a hand on his chest. One, two, three, four, five- “Take it back.” </p><p>Mark looked at him incredulously, “Did you really just ask me to-“ </p><p>“Has Taeyong not drilled this into your brain? Love gets you killed! Love was what led to Jaemin and Jeno’s stupid, stupid escape attempt! I don’t think I need you to remind you of the punishment.” </p><p>Jaemin and Jeno. Young, misguided and reckless. Their entire unit had paid for their stupid little stunt. Ten lashes for every night that they were away. Taeyong looked pained administering their punishment each night, it was the first time he saw Taeyong break during a punishment. </p><p>Doyoung was the only other one in the room each night. The first night he had spoke up before it all began, “Taeyong you can’t possibly punish them for something we’ve all thought about-”</p><p>Taeyong shook his head speaking in a hushed voice that they could barely hear, “I didn’t choose this, Doyoung. Leave if you can’t stomach this. Or better yet, tell Vision to get their asses into gear, and retrieve the two of them as fast as they can.”</p><p>Doyoung shook his head, bowing respectfully before he grabbed his overcoat from a nearby chair and left without another word. He was back the next night, and Donghyuck couldn’t tell if it was his delirium from the pain, or his imagination, but the lashes were not done at Taeyong’s full force. </p><p>Jeno and Jaemin were back the third night, and he watched with resentful amusement as they recieved the very same lashings. </p><p>He never really had the best relationship with Jeno, and that incident had only driven the two of them further. How could he when they were so different with their ideals? When neither of them understood each other on an emotional level? Donghyuck could anticipate Jeno’s every move in a fight, and yet he couldn’t understand how he could drop everthing for a boy.</p><p>Jeno was guided by his emotions, by his need for love and affection, just as Mark was guided by his ambition and his dedication to his duties. The Empire had very much exploited that, it was so clear at the time, Jeno was nothing but a lonely little boy who wanted to love, and be loved. He desperately craved tiny affections that the rest of the world took for granted. </p><p>The world never loved him, and he would kill himself trying to get a taste of what it felt like. </p><p>And Donghyuck, jaded and bitter. Love was nothing but a poison to avoid. It was the way his mother gave to the world, to her family, before it destroyed her from the inside. He would rather have a stake shoved up his ass, and through his head than to be led by something as stupid as love. </p><p>The world had once loved him, but they had rescinded that love just as fast, leaving him in the shadows to rot. And that hurt so much more than never knowing what it felt like.</p><p>The only times they found each other’s ideals tolerable was past midnight, and if they were both very drunk. </p><p>Mark looked at him in complete and utter disbelief. “Love isn’t what drove any of this! Haechan do you even-“ </p><p>“Oh I know what I’m talking about. You’ll tell me you love me, and that you can find the stars in my eyes. And I’ll wait until all you can see in my eyes is the headstones of the people I’ve killed, and the person that I truly am.” He jabbed a finger in Mark’s chest, “You will love me, but for how long?”</p><p>“Who cares about that? Do you love people just to see them stop loving you?”</p><p>“Do you love people with no inhibition like a stupid, naive little child who believes in fairytales, and tells himself every night that his parents still love each other?” He was screaming at this point, he didn’t know how else to express himself. The Empire has only accounted for their physical training, their endurance, intelligence and strength. Emotion-wise, all they were told was that they did not need such stupid things. </p><p>Mark looked at him, and for once, he couldn’t decipher what he was thinking. “I want to try it out for myself. I am not going to base everything on the relationship my parents never had.”</p><p>Donghyuck huffed, “I do not base everything based off of my parents.” </p><p>“You don’t talk often of your parents, but that much is clear. You’re scared because-”</p><p>“Psychoanalysis me all you want, but you don’t- you can’t love me.”</p><p>“Haechan-” Mark stopped himself as Donghyuck held up a finger, signalling him to be quiet. He couldn’t take this right now, he couldn’t argue about this with Mark, not when he had seemed so expectant and honest when he said those three cursed words.</p><p>Hurt. All he could hear was hurt. He was used to killing people, people who begged for their lives, people who screamed in anguish as he killed everyone they loved. He had forgotten their faces, their voices, within minutes. </p><p>He didn’t kill anyone, but it felt like his first kill all over again, guilt pooling in his mind, and feeling like he wanted to barf. </p><p>“Don’t even finish that.”</p><p>He reminded himself again and again that he was not his mother. That hag was so close to death and yet, she's still so alive in his mind. It was like she planted her thoughts, her essence and just <i>her<i> in his mind, and he couldn't get it out even if he tried. </i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Please give me time," He muttered more to himself than to Mark. He was so scared. Scared enough to finally admit to himself how scared he had been all along. It was slowly becoming a petrifying feeling that he could not longer push away like he did with every other unwanted emotion. "Please, my mind is a complete mess and I can't process this." </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Mark, ever-so-perfect, smiled at him reassuringly, "It's okay to-"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"No. It's not. Not right now. Let me think, please, just please don't leave me."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Mark nodded, and for a moment he mirrored his uncertainty, and his fear. "I won't leave you-"</i>
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</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He didn't wait for Mark to finish, turning to leave, “I’m going. Let’s just forget about all of this, and move on,” He forced out a smile, and climbed down from the rooftop as quickly as he could. His heart was pounding in his chest, he chose to ignore it, he’s always done the same in the past. So why the hell did he feel so bad this time around? </i>
  </i>
</p><p>Mark didn’t follow him, no doubtly staring at where he used to be in silence. How unusual, as Mark would chase anything that he set his mind to to the ends of the world. He would switch to a whole new universe if it meant accomplishing his own goals.</p><p>But Mark didn’t say anything (Maybe he didn’t love him as much as he claimed he did, whispered the demon in his head. Maybe he didn’t love you at all).</p><p>Dejun passed him in the hallway as he headed back to his room, a mockingly saccharine smile on his face, and a letter in his hands, the King’s seal stamped on the front. He was flanked by Hendery and Yangyang as usual, Hendery who stuck his nose in yet another book, and Yangyang who shot him a bright smile. Unlike the rest of them, Vision never had mission briefings, just a quick letter from an informant, or the King’s instructions.</p><p>“-We could totally take a detour on the way back, you know? I want deep fried squid,” Yangyang went back to pouting at Hendery. “I mean the mission itself will only take a few hours, so no one’s going to care if I take a quick five minutes!”</p><p>“No one sells that shit after one in the morning,” Reprimanded Hendery. “We take care of this and we leave, got it?”</p><p>Donghyuck didn’t quite know the details of any of the unholy trinity’s missions, no one really knew the details. But Johnny used to tell him that it’d be best if he avoided digging into the three of them any deeper.</p><p>Dejun turned back at him for a moment, “Haechan?”</p><p>“What.”</p><p>“You’re emotionally fucked, and I pity you.”</p><p>“Fuck you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Talk to me on twt about anime or kpop! :3 <a href="http://twitter.com/myyueliang">twitter.</a><br/>sorry the update took so long! school was kicking my ass TT^TT</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. I'm just a man, I'm not a hero</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>chapter title from welcome to the black parade by MCR</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wake up Haechan.”</p><p>Someone was nudging him awake gently.</p><p>“Mark?” He blinked blearily. </p><p>He looked down onto the thing that had been gently prodding him, it didn’t feel like someone’s hand. His eyes focussed onto the hilt of the dagger that was still poking at his arm. </p><p>“Sorry to disappoint.” Jeno did not sound sorry whatsoever. “Get your ass up please, the more time you take, the more chances you’ll be the one to face Taeyong’s wrath. Judging by the fact Mark sent me to wake you, he’s not exactly going to be as protective, is he?”</p><p>He got up, scowling at the butt of the knife that Jeno had been nudging him awake with. If someone as emotionally stunted as Jeno could sense something was off, then everyone was bound to know something was up. If he wasn’t so emotionally exhausted, he would’ve already been at Jeno’s throat with the knife he kept underneath his own pillow. </p><p>“What happened between you two anyways?”</p><p>Donghyuck ignored him in favour of heading towards his bathroom to splash himself awake. Jeno’s eyes followed him as he did his daily routines.</p><p>Jeno was dressed to the nines, in the official uniform of the guard dogs. It was the uniform reserved solely for formal occasions, for most missions, they were to wear their own clothes just as long as they kept to darker colours. </p><p>It was a beautifully tailored, white military jacket with black trim, black cuffs that reach halfway to the elbow, and white gloves. There was a plain leather belt at his waist, and white pants tucked into knee-high boots. Jeno had added his own personal touches, an armband of his rank and unit at his upper arm, golden enamel pins at his chest, and he had swapped out the black buttons on the jacket with ones of gold.</p><p>“Public execution day?” He had forgotten that it was set for today. The King had mentioned something about wanting it done as soon as possible. It was not strange at all for him to get the executions done as quickly as possible.</p><p>Jeno nodded, “The Emperor’s square again. We’ll be on the balcony above as usual. Get your ass into gear, Taeyong’s doing inspections.”</p><p>The Empire’s square was a square overlooked by the palace. The King would be on his balcony as usual, way above his loyal subjects, delivering a valorant speech of victory against evil.</p><p>Donghyuck strolled out of his bathroom, heading to his closet and undressing right in front of Jeno. They had long since been desensitized to such things. His own uniform had been laid out by the maids, probably a few minutes before Jeno entered his room. Jeno placed his knife back into the knife sheath strapped to his thigh. Donghyuck took notes of the sword at his hip. Jeno had swapped out his usual weapon for one with a fancier grip and cross-guard. </p><p>Donghyuck quickly put on his own uniform, it was just as comfortable as he could remember. The last time they were forced to wear these uniforms was a year ago, at some stupid ball they were forced to attend.</p><p>Donghyuck had kept his own uniform simple enough, nothing but his father’s family crest on his chest, and decorative shoulder marks (His father’s crest was out of pure spite, a reminder to his father of what became of his first son).</p><p>He grabbed some random sheathed sword laying underneath his bed, as long as it followed the pure white-gold colour scheme of the guard dogs. Jeno looked at him in amazement, “How you manage to get dressed and ready so fast every time, I can’t understand.”</p><p>Donghyuck snorted, “You weren’t here in the palace when they covered the training for that. We used to have weekly surprise inspections because Taeyong and Sicheng used to get into so much shit.”</p><p>(His tendency to sleep elsewhere had led to some sort of unconventional adaption.)</p><p>Mark was already at the foyer, talking to Taeyong in hushed voices, a cape over his shoulder, and hand on his sword. It should’ve been Mark in Jeno’s place this morning, noted Donghyuck bitterly. Mark didn’t even give him the courtesy of a greeting, much less a smile. Jeno shot him a look of pity, to which he just scoffed. Even Chenle was there, he wasn’t in uniform, his participation had been optional. Donghyuck didn’t even know whether he considered Chenle a guard dog. He was talking to Jisung in the corner, the two of them looking more and more like the children that they were supposed to be. </p><p>Yuta’s hair was tied up, and he walked up to Jeno and Donghyuck quickly, his uniform was far more orderly than everyone around. It was easy to forget that Yuta had once been one of the Capital’s greatest generals. </p><p>(Sometimes he wondered why Yuta had retired from the hell that was war, just to go straight into a different hell.)</p><p>“We’ve got box office seats to the deaths of at least a dozen people,” Yuta gave them a bright smile. He looked way too cheerful. “I’m your inspector, Lieutenant General Nakamoto Yuta, if you’d please just do a turn, I’d be delighted to slap your ass into gear.”</p><p>Donghyuck sighed, and turned. Yuta pointed out the few flaws in his uniform, before moving onto Jeno, and everyone else. Yuta hummed as he moved along, “Sure, you can’t see much from down below, but military standards, you know? And Haechan?”</p><p>Donghyuck looked up from adjusting his cuffs, “Yes?”</p><p>“If this was a real inspection, you would’ve failed. Be happy that Taeyong forced me to go easy on you all.” Yuta said so with no malice in his voice, “You too, Jeno.”</p><p>They all heard horror stories of the time that Yuta had been in the army. Despite his age, he had risen up the ranks quickly. Donghyuck was surprised when Nakamoto Yuta first entered the palace, brightly smiling and greeting everyone without a trace of mockery. None of them expected that, not even Taeyong.</p><p>(And then Yuta proceeded to piss Sicheng off to the point that he had to be restrained, but that’s a story for another time).</p><p>“Yes sir,” Donghyuck saluted teasingly. </p><p>Yuta threw his head back into laughter, “God, that brings me back to darker times.”</p><p>Yuta smiled, before going off to the unholy trinity, checking off boxes on his list with a serene smile on his face. The unholy trinity were in the back, the only sign of their late night mission was Hendery yawning nonchalantly. The last to arrive, it only took Yuta five minutes to finish his inspection before he tapped Taeyong on the shoulder. Donghyuck watched as he said something about how he was done.</p><p>Taeyong stopped his conversation with Mark, strolling past everyone with a glare that signaled them to follow. </p><p>The King’s guard dogs were usually expected to be flanking the king in public executions, especially one as grand as this. Usually it was just Taeyong and some of 127, but this time there seemed to be a change. They were not going with the King’s entourage. </p><p>“Oh he’ll be so pissed,” Muttered Jungwoo with an air of nonchalance. </p><p>“Believe me, I know.”</p><p>They looked down from a different balcony, one further down than the King’s beautiful viewing balcony that overlooked the town square. Except none of them flanked the king, just stood by Taeyong as he looked down from a different balcony. He looked more princely than the boy in royal robes, lined with gold and made of the finest fabrics, standing at the King’s side.</p><p>Taeyong’s distaste showed for only a few seconds, before he faced the crowd. Ten ushered him to the very center of their balcony. Taeyong may have been wearing the uniform of a guard, but he looked so much more regal, even more so than the royal family. </p><p>“What’s happening? Why did we change viewing locations?” Whispered Jaemin quietly to Jeno. </p><p>Jeno gave Jaemin a weird look, hissing underneath his breath, “How the fuck would I know?”</p><p>Taeyong turned to look back at the two of them, both who froze immediately. To everyone’s surprise, he answered their question with a simple, “We are his guard dogs, we aren’t stupid ass prized weapons to show off, or some goddamn props to show how terrifying he is. If he can’t look powerful on his own, surrounded by this country's decision makers, then maybe, he should try being less weak.” </p><p>He didn’t know what was more surprising, the lack of bite in his tone, his words, or the fact he even bothered answering the two’s questions.</p><p>Ten laughed, not even bothering to muffle his voice. Ten always had the longest leash of all of Taeyong’s little pet projects (That, he had his own suspicions why, but he was not analytical like Jaemin or Renjun, he couldn’t tell for sure).</p><p>Jisung spoke up, he hadn’t even noticed that he was right behind him. That damn boy was going to melt right into the shadows one day, he thought. “Are we going to get in trouble?”</p><p>“Hush, hush, it’ll be fine,” Ten smiled cryptically. He didn’t know what made Ten so sure of himself, nor did he really want to know. </p><p>The King had started his speech, not that Donghyuck, or any of them bothered to listen. It was the same speech every time anyways. They were guard dogs, they executed their job to the best of their abilities, and returned at the end of the day, just like a dog. But unlike dogs, they had no love for the man pulling their leashes. </p><p>Johnny and Jaehyun were at the edge of the balcony, Donghyuck moved to join them, hopping on the railing without a care. Johnny glanced at him and laughed warmly, “You might fall you know.”</p><p>“What’s another execution for the day?” Muttered Jaehyun casually. He laughed quietly at his own joke.</p><p>Donghyuck scowled at him, “I just remembered why I like Johnny better.”</p><p>Donghyuck ignored whatever response Jaehyun shot back, deciding to focus on the King’s boring old speech. It was always the same things, over and over again (The war a few years ago had garnered enough of the king’s speeches to last him a lifetime. If he had a choice, he would never listen to another one of them ever again).</p><p>“...my administration and council has initiated the single greatest mobilization and recon in the Empire’s history. No extermination of rebellions of this scope and magnitude has ever been achieved this rapidly, all under the command of both me and a child of my bloodline-”</p><p>Jaemin laughed, “Just say bastard, that’s what the entire world says anyways.”</p><p>Taeyong ignored him, staring straight ahead at the crowd. The first time Taeyong was allowed onto the balcony, alongside his father he looked at the crowd much differently. Even from his view on some stray boxes onto the side of the street, he could see the pure hatred that was on Taeyong’s face. </p><p>He seemed so much more numb to all of this now (Is this what growing up did to you?).</p><p>“-the firepower we have in the form of my elite guards is unequaled and unrivaled anywhere in the world and leaders of other countries have sent me letters to congratulate us on what we’ve been able to do-”</p><p>“How typical. We do all the work, and he takes all the credit,” Taeyong scowled. “What a goddamn narcissist.”</p><p>“He’s got that tendency,” Added Yuta, tone equally bitter. “Never gives credit where it’s due.”</p><p>Donghyuck turned to mutter something about how “elite guards make them sound all proper, when in reality the king’s elite guards were nothing but bloodthirsty hounds,” but Mark wasn’t beside him. </p><p>They’ve had fights before, slightly longer periods of times where neither of them would talk to each other. But they all just seemed like petty squabbles compared to now. It was the same feeling though, the feeling of disappointment and hurt that flashed every time he wanted to make a small comment, or just roll his eyes sarcastically, only to remember that they weren’t talking. </p><p>“-A few days ago, my elite guards have managed to pull off the biggest raid of this Empire’s rebellions, and we have several of their leaders in containment. The rebellion is a very sad group, a very sad group trying to disenfranchise the royal family, and the Empire, and we won’t stand for them, we will not stand for them.” The king paused for dramatic applause, absolutely loving the applause of his citizens. “And today, the last of them will be dead. Long live the Empire.”</p><p>The crowd echoed the very same sentiment, drowning the King in cheers.</p><p>Just as the applause died down, there was a singular shout from the crowd, “Your elite guards are nothing but a group of murderers!”</p><p>Kun hissed quietly, “One o’clock, now. Towards the middle. He’s the one in the blue. With the beard.”</p><p>Donghyuck whipped his head towards the center of the crowd, as did everyone else. Renjun leaned against the balcony, he held a scope up to his eye, “The guards down below haven’t reached the source yet,” Reported Renjun in complete monotone. “Are they taking him out?”</p><p>“Oh you’d do great in our unit. Recon and all the works,” Cooed Ten. “Sichengie, he’s almost just like you.”</p><p>“Almost like we’re brothers,” Deadpanned Sicheng. </p><p>Donghyuck watched as the crowd parted for the guards, everyone giving away the source of the shout without hesitation. The guards had him in no time, not as efficient as any of them would’ve been however. </p><p>They dragged the man out of the crowd, no one objecting as they surrounded him. All they could hear was faint shouts that soon faded. When they all moved to the side, there was only a beaten corpse left. It was a bloody scene that went by ignored as the remaining rebellion leaders were dragged onto the platform.</p><p>Yuta grinned, completely unperturbed, “Long live the Empire, am I right?”</p><p>Sicheng jabbed him with his elbow.</p><p>Donghyuck snorted, glancing to the side at Mark. His best friend looked absolutely sick to his stomach. Everyone saw the same scene, so why the hell did he look actually affected? They’ve seen the same cruel things, been desensitized to everything, so why was this time any different. Donghyuck huffed, swinging his legs back over the railing and moving to stand next to Jeno and Johnny. </p><p>Johnny patted him lightly on the back, “You’re not very sneaky, you know?”</p><p>“Neither are you.”</p><p>“Precisely why I was never in Vision.”</p><p>“Which correlates with the fact you and Ten broke up?” Asked Donghyuck mindlessly. He glanced at Mark, whose face was pale, almost like he was about to hurl whatever breakfast he had over the crowd. The executioners were very quick to arrange the future-corpses. </p><p>Ten and Johnny had been a subject of the past. It was a relationship between two immature boys who didn’t know how to love themselves, much less each other. It had ended in nothing but hurt and anger. Johnny never talked about it, neither during the relationship, nor after the relationship. </p><p>They were both scared, and naive, and look at what happened. That was love for you. A gross feeling that only hurt you in the end. </p><p>Johnny sighed, “Don’t take your hurt out on me, Haechan. Just because you and Mark-”</p><p>“God, does everyone know about that?”</p><p>Johnny lowered his voice, even though they weren’t the only ones having light conversations right before the executions started. Donghyuck glanced at the platform, it looked more like a stage, set for a morbid show for the public. </p><p>“News travels fast, Haechan,” Reprimanded Johnny lightly. “Besides, it’s not that hard to figure out.”</p><p>Jaehyun laughed bitterly, “For a group of people so disconnected from the courts, we are all so invested in other people’s issues.”</p><p>“We’re only human. Nosy motherfuckers, aren’t we?” Taeil joined their conversation languidly. He looked very out of place without his very own pets. He looked down at the platform tiredly. “Execution by the sword. I thought they were doing it by stake.”</p><p>“That’s rare. Vision’s information is almost alway accurate. This must be a last minute change,” Remarked Johnny. “At least it’ll be fast, how unfortunate that it won’t be as entertaining.”</p><p>Donghyuck snorted, “How merciful.”</p><p>Ten laughed from god knows where, “We must’ve forgot to inform everyone of this change, I suppose. How unfortunate.”</p><p>Jaehyun glanced at Ten with mild annoyance, “You’re lying. Annoyingly enough, I can’t tell anything else other than that.”</p><p>“Either I’ve improved, or your powers of deduction have gotten much worse, Jaehyunnie,” Ten grinned erily. He turned his attention back to the execution, “Look, it’s starting.”</p><p>Donghyuck watched blankly as the axe rose up, and swung back down harshly. The first prisoner was pulled up to the stand. The defiance on his face was clear, even from the balcony. How could you look so defiant while being so terrified?</p><p>The crowd cheered each time the axe swung down, laughing as the heads tumbled. </p><p>Executions were always so tasteless, thought Donghyuck. It was only entertaining the first time around. He looked at Mark, expecting the same bored look on his face, only to find that Mark looked positively green. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to leave. But they couldn’t. Not without being accused of treason. </p><p>Donghyuck found himself gravitating to him, offering Mark his hand. Something to hold onto. To his surprise, Mark took it without even looking at him.</p><p>He was shaking, realized Donghyuck. It was like Mark’s first mission, when he first killed a man. He stumbled into Donghyuck’s room, shaking for an hour as Donghyuck fussed around him (Mark had returned the favour a few weeks later, patting Donghyuck on the back as he barfed his guts out).</p><p>He ignored the way everyone stared at their intertwined hands, choosing to look at Mark in concern instead. Suddenly, he never wanted anything more than for this damn execution to be over.</p><p>“How are they always so happy?” Muttered Mark. He normally didn’t look so appalled, after all, he had grown up watching executions. The war had its fair share of public executions, and the two of them had endured way too many of them together. </p><p>On his other side, Jaemin giggled as yet another head fell, “It’s like the magician’s hat. Or one of those poppers. What lovely streamers, right Jisung?” </p><p>Donghyuck didn’t bother to look too closely at the way Jaemin held onto the railing so tightly, nor the way he was barely holding himself up. He ignored the way that Jaemin coughed loudly into the palms of his hands. He leaned closer to Mark, muttering, “You okay? Do you need to leave-”</p><p>“You know damn well I can’t.”</p><p>Another head tumbled, and the crowd cheered. </p><p>Long live the Empire.</p><p>Mark squeezed his hand tightly, “Haechan, last night, I wanted to ask you-”</p><p>“Don’t. Not right now.” <i>Not ever.<i></i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He didn’t want to pull himself out of his jumbled thoughts again. He didn’t want to think of it in the slightest. Life was so much easier when you just stopped thinking of anything that bothered you.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong scoffed loudly from behind the two of them, Donghyuck turned to see him lean close to Doyoung whispering in hushed tones before turning his back to the crowd and the performance. “We’re done here.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Doyoung’s panic showed on his face, “This will be considered treason. I understand the reasoning behind this but-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I don’t care.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Taeyong, you can’t be serious, his Majesty will-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong glanced at him coldly, “Whatever his Majesty wants to do to me for this act will not matter. The performance has lasted long enough, I’m rather surprised he wasn’t dramatic enough to pull out the stakes again. Come on, Minhyung, let’s go.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Mark just gaped at him.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>With that, Taeyong left. It took a moment for them to recover from the shock, this was a very public act of defiance. So brave that it could even be considered betrayal. Johnny was the first to move, trailing after Taeyong quickly. Jaehyun followed him without hesitation.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Most of Vision looked just as shocked, the unholy trinity seemed unsure for once. Kun frowned, “This isn’t wise, we have not been dismissed by the King.” </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Doyoung glared at him, “You think I don’t know that already? He’s made up his mind, that stubborn bastard. Orders are orders, Qian, gather your ragtag group and get a move on please.” He turned to quickly follow Taeyong. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Kun looked at Ten for guidance, funny how Kun was the leader, not Ten. Ten shrugged, trying to look unaffected despite the panic starting to set into his eyes. That was the thing about Vision. When you’re so good at analysing and predicting the movement and actions of others, it is harder to adjust when everything you’ve meticulously thought about and ran scenarios over completely derails. None of them had accounted for this, much less anyone else. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Mark stared at where Taeyong had been with bewilderment. “Did he-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“He’s getting too cocky,” Muttered Donghyuck. Taeyong had an air of stubborn arrogance, and it never seemed to leave him. It was especially strong today, it seems. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I don’t think it was cockiness,” Mumbled Mark, still staring. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck moved to leave when he realized their hadns were still connected. He looked down at their hands, and quickly let go. He could hear his heartbeat again as he left the balcony, a flush rising to his face. He didn’t turn around, he didn’t want to see Mark’s hurt face again.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He already knew he hurt him, he couldn't bear to know just how much.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>They filed out, the cheers fading behind them as they followed their leader to god knows where. The public was bound to have seen the captain of the King’s guard dogs head out with a scowl. Rumours were going to form. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>(He could hear the whispers already, of how the King couldn’t even control his own bastard, much less a whole country. Of how the King was losing his touch, and how the leash on his dogs were far too long).</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong led them to the training room, the place of multiple memories that he’d prefer stay repressed inside his head. There it was again, the ever-lingering scent of blood. Doyoung was the first to sit down onto the training mats, he was visibly horrified, “What have you just done, you idiot?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong ignored him. He faced all of them with a softer glare than usual. “Change out of these damn uniforms. Kun, get me the mission files for the next week, I’ll figure something out.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck sat down, averting his gaze from Mark. He had allowed himself the luxury of staring during the executions. He had allowed himself the luxury of opening caring about this stupid boy. He was the one who said that Mark couldn’t love him, he would only hurt both of them if he were to say otherwise. Now, he has to live with it. It was the consequences of his own actions after all.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“The King will be furious,” Stated Sicheng simply. “I don’t think we can placate his anger from such a stunt.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Fuck off Dong, you don’t think I already know?” </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Sicheng shrugged, “For a moment, you seem just like you used to when I first met you. You haven’t changed that much, Highness.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The Taeyong from the past that Donghyuck knew was full of righteous anger, he was impulsive, and stubborn in the worst ways, with an air of melancholy and regret that he never quite managed to shake off. He didn’t know what Taeyong Sicheng was talking about, but it wasn’t the Taeyong he knew.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You’re all dismissed. Make sure the King knows that I’ll be waiting for his anger here. I’m counting on you for that, Ten.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Ten didn’t move from his perch on a pile of sand bags. A smug smile formed on his face before he called out his very own orders, “Alright kids, you heard the man! Leave the room and inform the constant voices in the hallways to pass this message to the King.” </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Times like this he wondered if Kun was really the leader of Vision.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Yangyang nodded, bounding out of the room with the two other parts of the unholy trinity following closely behind him. Jaemin and Jeno were next to leave. Renjun shot a look at his brother, muttering a few words underneath his breath before leaving. Sicheng didn’t bother replying. Kun followed, and Ten soon after. Vision had a lot of work to take care of. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck glanced at Mark quickly. Mark didn’t look like he intended to leave at all, he was still staring at Taeyong with a flabbergasted face. He looked at Donghyuck, and for a moment, their eyes met. By now, almost everyone but 127 had left.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His mind was just as much a mess as the night before, it had just been occupied by the executions all morning. And now, without the loud cheers to drown out his own thoughts, all he could feel was panic. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Why did you do it?” Asked Mark. He finally asked the question that some of them had been wondering. It was no secret that Taeyong despised his father, in fact he was more open than anyone with his pure hatred for the King. But this was pure recklessness. “You-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong laughed bitterly, looking up at the skylight, “Want to hear something interesting, Minhyung? You remind me of someone I hate with every fucking fiber of my being.” Mark flinched at those words, and the harsh drawl of the outskirts that became stronger with every word spewing from Taeyong’s mouth. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Sorry?”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You want an answer. That’s it. That’s your answer.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck sneakily glanced at Jaehyun, just like everyone else in the room. When you have someone so well versed in picking people’s words apart, it was hard not to utilize him, especially when someone like Taeyong was talking.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Jaehyun, to his credit, didn’t reveal anything with his face.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I hear footsteps,” Stated Sicheng suddenly. “They sound angry.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong smiled, “My punishment awaits, I suppose.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Jaehyun looked at him with resolve in his eyes, “Let me take it for you-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“No.” Taeyong answered before Johnny could even object.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Jungwoo bowed politely, interrupting whatever moment that was happening, “I’ll leave you to it, your highness.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Don’t make a mockery of me.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I would never,” Simpered Jungwoo in a way that referenced the whores in the brothel. Before he could say anything else, the door opened to reveal an angry King, and a dozen guards behind him. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Ten heads snapped up to look at him, Yuta was the only who bowed (Albeit he did so sarcastically). Taeil bowed towards Taeyong, “I can’t help you anymore than anyone else. I’ll take my leave now.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“I have other things to take care of,” Jungwoo nodded in acknowledgement, the worry was evident in his eyes as he made his way out of the training room. Taeil and Jungwoo were the first two to slip past the King, probably wiser on their parts. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck wished he could have followed them, but his mind was stuck to a cottage in the woods, and he was trapped by his own need to stay with Mark.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“You! You dare to pull such a humiliating stunt in front of me and all those people? Do you have any idea what kind of message that reckless, and stupid move sent?!” The King was frothing as he stormed up to his son. He slammed his son into the wall in a way that mirrored the events of the mineshaft. “I take you in, I give you power, and this is how you thank me?!”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong rasped, “With all due respect, sir, you were the one who hired me.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The King paid his audience no mind as he slapped his son. The sound echoed throughout the room, and Mark flinched. “You had no right, you bastard. To watch from the balcony, pretend you’re something you’re not? That’s fine with me. But that display of-”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>“Leave,” Snapped Doyoung. He was scared, you could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. He was terrified for Taeyong, for the bastard who didn’t give a shit about anyone else but himself. “All of you. Leave.”</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Yuta sprang into place, grabbing Sicheng and leaving without sparing a glance at Taeyong until he was out of the King’s eyesight. It was well known that 127 was chosen by Taeyong personally, for their talents and their traits. But somehow, the Capital's ice-cold bastard managed to surround himself with a group of people loyal to the bitter end.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The irony of it all.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Donghyuck waited for Mark to get up, to move, but he didn’t. Johnny pulled him away with a gentle, “Let’s go Haechan.” He followed Johnny quickly out the door until it hit him, why Mark had decided to stay. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Taeyong was not an arrogant boy filled with broken promises passed down by his mother. He was not always intimidating or scary, and unlike the days when he first got here, he wasn’t fuelled by just anger.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>(They were wrong, it wasn’t Mark who did not know people as well as he thought he did, it was Donghyuck).</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The realisation hit him, Taeyong had pulled such a stunt for-</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His thoughts were interrupted by Taeyong’s scream of pain. He winced, looking back at the training room quickly, before Johnny pulled him along further. This would go on for much longer than this, it wouldn’t stop until Taeyong apologized and begged for forgiveness, or until the King tired. It was bound to be the latter, because despite all his faults, Taeyong did not apologize.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Not even when a mission went wrong, and someone was on the verge of death, not when his miscalculations had led to failures. Taeyong never apologized, it was not ingrained into him as well as punishment was.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The screams stopped as he heard the tell-tale sound of the door closing and locking. And in that moment, he realized why Taeyong had chosen to head to the training room. The foam padding on the walls prevented anyone from hearing anything happening on the inside of that room.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Long live the fucking Empire.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>fun fact, the king's speeches were based off of Trump's transcripts (I read through way too many of his speeches to write mf fanfiction. I reverse-peaked in life lmao)</p><p>a note for most of my fics - they all have a very unreliable and biased narrator, so some things are presented as facts when they should be speculations. </p><p>
  <a href="http://twitter.com/myyueliang">twitter</a>
</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let's be friends!! :3 <a href="http://twitter.com/myyueliang">twitter.</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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